{"id":2293,"date":"2026-11-09T21:44:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T13:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/cases\/cambodia-pet-flake-pelletizing-line\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T22:20:04","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T14:20:04","slug":"cambodia-pet-flake-pelletizing-line","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/cases\/cambodia-pet-flake-pelletizing-line\/","title":{"rendered":"PET flake pelletizing line holding IV 0.6\u20130.79"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"k3\">\n<noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.googletagmanager.com\/ns.html?id=GTM-5JN495RG\" height=\"0\" width=\"0\" style=\"display:none;visibility:hidden\"><\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<div class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"crumbs\"><a href=\"\/\">Home<\/a><span>\/<\/span><a href=\"\/cases\/\">Case studies<\/a><span>\/<\/span>Cambodia<\/div><\/div><div class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"hero\">\n<p class=\"kicker\">Case study 4 \u00b7 Cambodia \u00b7 PET bottle flake<\/p>\n<h1>PET flake pelletizing line holding IV 0.6\u20130.79: a KTE-75B in Cambodia<\/h1>\n<p class=\"dek\">A bottle-flake recycler in Cambodia bought a KTE-75B after running their own flake on it in Nanjing. The PET flake pelletizing line now returns pellets in the 0.6\u20130.79 dL\/g range from flake that varies lot to lot \u2014 because drying, shear and vacuum were designed around IV, not around tonnage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"byline\"><div><b>Line<\/b> KTE-75B<\/div><div><b>Material<\/b> PET bottle flake<\/div><div><b>Result<\/b> IV 0.6\u20130.79<\/div><div><b>Trial<\/b> before order<\/div><div><b>Updated<\/b> 9 November 2026<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"appmedia\">\n<figure class=\"case-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/case-cambodia-pet-flake-pelletizing-line.webp\" alt=\"PET flake pelletizing line for the Cambodia customer \u2014 line and material at commissioning\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\"><figcaption>PET flake pelletizing line for the Cambodia customer \u2014 line and material at commissioning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"appmedia-text\">\n<section class=\"qa\" id=\"answer\"><nav class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block k3-toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><b>On this page:<\/b><a href=\"#rm-s1\">Quick answer<\/a><a href=\"#situation\">The situation: flake in, price out<\/a><a href=\"#found\">What a PET flake pelletizing line has to control<\/a><a href=\"#changed\">How the line is set for flake that varies<\/a><a href=\"#result\">Result<\/a><\/nav><h2 id=\"rm-s1\">Quick answer<\/h2><p>PET recycling is decided by one number: intrinsic viscosity. On this PET flake pelletizing line the flake is crystallised and dried at 160 \u00b0C for 4\u20136 hours to below 50 ppm moisture, melted on a low-shear L\/D 44\u201348 screw, devolatilised in two stages and water-ring strand cut. Measured loss is <strong>0.02\u20130.05 dL\/g per pass<\/strong>, which is what keeps output in the 0.6\u20130.79 range from mixed bottle flake.<\/p><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"grid\"><main>\n<div class=\"stats\"><div class=\"stat\"><b>0.6\u20130.79<\/b><span>dL\/g pellet IV<\/span><\/div><div class=\"stat\"><b>4\u20136 h<\/b><span>flake drying<\/span><\/div><div class=\"stat\"><b>300\u2013800<\/b><span>kg\/h band<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"note\">Photograph from the commissioning file for this project; customer names are withheld where requested.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"sec\" id=\"situation\">The situation: flake in, price out<\/h2>\n<p>Cambodia collects and washes bottle flake and sells it on. The step that decides the price is pelletising, and the step that decides pelletising is IV retention: bottle-grade flake at 0.78\u20130.80 dL\/g becomes fibre-grade at 0.65, and fibre-grade becomes a different, cheaper product. Every degree of shear and every ppm of moisture costs money.<\/p>\n<p>The customer's flake is not one grade. It arrives as mixed clear and light-blue bottle, washed, with moisture that varies by lot, and IV that ranges from about 0.60 to 0.79 dL\/g. They tested their own material on our KTE-75B before ordering \u2014 the trial is free, they covered the freight \u2014 and bought the line on the strength of the pellet sample, not the brochure.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"sec\" id=\"found\">What a PET flake pelletizing line has to control<\/h2>\n<p>Three variables decide whether IV survives, and only one of them is inside the extruder.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tw\"><table><caption><b>Table 1.<\/b> The three levers on IV, and the setting this line runs.<\/caption>\n<thead><tr><th scope=\"col\">Lever<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Setting on this line<\/th><th scope=\"col\">What it does to IV<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody>\n<tr><td><b>Drying<\/b><\/td><td>160 \u00b0C \u00d7 4\u20136 h, dew point \u221240 \u00b0C, moisture &lt;50 ppm<\/td><td>Hydrolysis is the largest single loss. Wet flake loses 0.1 dL\/g or more and the loss is not recoverable.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><b>Screw shear<\/b><\/td><td>L\/D 44\u201348, conveying and light kneading, no 90\u00b0 blocks<\/td><td>Each pass costs 0.02\u20130.05 dL\/g when the flake is dry; aggressive geometry doubles it.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><b>Vacuum<\/b><\/td><td>Two-stage vent, \u22120.06 to \u22120.09 MPa<\/td><td>Removes the water that drying did not reach and the volatiles from printed or glued flake.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n<p>Two more decisions sit downstream of the PET flake pelletizing line. The melt filter runs 60\u201380 \u00b5m because finer mesh on flake with residual contamination raises pressure and temperature, and temperature is an IV cost. Cutting is water-ring strand, not die-face: PET needs to be cooled fast and evenly, and a strand line lets you see the surface quality before it reaches the pelletizer.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"sec\" id=\"changed\">How the line is set for flake that varies<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"flow\">\n<li><b>Drying is logged per lot, not per shift.<\/b> Dew point and residence time are recorded; a lot that arrives at 0.9% moisture gets longer residence, not a faster line.<\/li>\n<li><b>Screw speed is fixed by melt temperature, not output.<\/b> 260\u2013280 \u00b0C barrel, die slightly below the maximum melt temperature; if the melt climbs, speed comes down before anything else is touched.<\/li>\n<li><b>Vacuum is checked at the flange.<\/b> A gauge at the pump is not a gauge at the vent; the line carries a gauge at the vent for exactly this reason.<\/li>\n<li><b>Chain extender stays off the line by default.<\/b> Epoxy ADR at 0.2\u20130.5% is available for low-IV lots, but it is added after melting and before the vacuum, and it is a cost per tonne \u2014 it is used when the lot needs it, not as a habit.<\/li>\n<li><b>Every lot gets an IV sample.<\/b> Incoming flake and outgoing pellet, same lab, same method. That record is what lets the customer quote a specification instead of a hope.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h2 class=\"sec\" id=\"result\">Result<\/h2>\n<p>Pellets leave the PET flake pelletizing line inside 0.6\u20130.79 dL\/g across the flake range the customer buys, with a measured loss of 0.02\u20130.05 dL\/g per pass. The pellets found buyers in the local fibre and sheet market, and the machine was paid back inside the first year of running \u2014 which is the only result that matters on a recycling line.<\/p>\n<div class=\"quoteband\"><b>Why they bought after the trial:<\/b> the pellet sample from Nanjing was made from their own flake, and the IV was measured in front of them. A PET flake pelletizing line is bought on a lab report, not on a running video.<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"sec\" id=\"line\">Line configuration<\/h2>\n<div class=\"tw\"><table><caption><b>Table 2.<\/b> PET flake line as built \u2014 the flanking equipment matters as much as the extruder.<\/caption>\n<thead><tr><th scope=\"col\">Stage<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Equipment<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Why<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody>\n<tr><td>Crystallising and drying<\/td><td>160 \u00b0C \u00d7 4\u20136 h, dew point \u221240 \u00b0C<\/td><td>The single largest IV protection on the line.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Extruder<\/td><td>KTE-75B, 71 mm, 2\u00d71,530 N\u00b7m, L\/D 44\u201348<\/td><td>Low-shear geometry; 300\u2013800 kg\/h band.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Filtration<\/td><td>Hydraulic screen changer, 60\u201380 \u00b5m<\/td><td>Removes residual label and cap contamination without over-pressuring the melt.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Devolatilization<\/td><td>Two-stage vacuum, \u22120.06 to \u22120.09 MPa<\/td><td>Water and volatiles before the die.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Pelletizing<\/td><td>Water-ring strand, water 30\u201340 \u00b0C, centrifugal dryer<\/td><td>Fast uniform cooling; surface visible before cutting.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"sec\" id=\"transfer\">What transfers to your line<\/h2>\n<div class=\"call warn\"><h4>Before you quote a PET flake pelletizing line, answer three questions<\/h4>\n<p><b>Where does the flake come from<\/b> \u2014 bottle bale or already-washed flake, because the washing line decides the moisture you inherit. <b>What IV do you need to sell<\/b> \u2014 fibre, sheet or bottle, because that sets the drying and vacuum budget. <b>Pellets or sheet<\/b> \u2014 because a sheet line needs a melt pump and a die, and that is a different quotation.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The full parameter set is on the <a href=\"\/applications\/pet-pelletizing\/\">PET bottle flake recycling page<\/a>; the drying and vacuum numbers are the same ones we run on the trial line in Nanjing.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"sec\" id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2>\n<details open><summary>How much IV is lost in one pass on a PET flake pelletizing line?<\/summary><p>0.02\u20130.05 dL\/g when the flake is dried to below 50 ppm. Wet flake can lose 0.1 dL\/g or more in a single pass, and that loss cannot be recovered by re-pelletising.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Can you run bottle flake without a crystalliser and dryer?<\/summary><p>The line will run on undried flake. You cannot sell the pellets at bottle or fibre prices. Hydrolysis starts the moment wet flake meets hot metal, and it is the cheapest problem on the line to prevent and the most expensive one to fix afterwards.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Why water-ring strand and not underwater cutting for PET?<\/summary><p>PET needs fast, even cooling and the strand gives you a visible surface before the pelletizer. Underwater cutting is used where round pellet shape is the selling point \u2014 TPE, TPU \u2014 not where IV and dust are the specification.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>What does the free material trial include?<\/summary><p>25\u201350 kg of your flake, run on our lab or production line, returned as pellets plus a report with drying time, temperatures, screw speed, vacuum and measured IV before and after. You cover the freight; the trial itself is free.<\/p><\/details>\n<div class=\"method\"><h2 id=\"rm-s2\">Where this record comes from<\/h2>\n<p>Commissioning reports, service logs and the parameter sheet issued with the line. Machine figures are the quoted bands for the model; process windows follow the Kerke parameter table and are confirmed on a material trial before they become a production setpoint. Where the customer asked not to be named, the country and the application are kept and the company name is not.<\/p>\n<p>Reviewed by the Kerke process team, Nanjing. Case published 9 November 2026.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"related\"><h2 id=\"rm-s3\">Related<\/h2><div class=\"rel-grid\"><a class=\"rel\" href=\"\/applications\/pet-pelletizing\/\"><span>Application<\/span>PET Bottle Flake Recycling & Pelletizing Line<\/a><a class=\"rel\" href=\"\/machines\/co-rotating-twin-screw-extruder\/\"><span>Machine<\/span>Co-Rotating Twin Screw Extruder (KTE-50B to KTE-135D)<\/a><a class=\"rel\" href=\"\/knowledge\/extruder-energy-consumption\/\"><span>Knowledge<\/span>Extruder Energy Consumption: kWh per kg, and Where It Goes<\/a><a class=\"rel\" href=\"\/cases\/\"><span>Case studies<\/span>All eight field cases<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"pager\"><a href=\"\/cases\/japan-two-stage-single-screw-extruder\/\"><span>Previous case<\/span>Japan \u00b7 Waste material recycling<\/a><a href=\"\/cases\/germany-graphite-compounding-line\/\"><span>Next case<\/span>Germany \u00b7 Graphite, ABS\/HIPS, pencil<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"cta\"><div><b>Tell us your material \u2014 we will tell you the line<\/b><p>Send 25\u201350 kg and we run it on our lab extruder: pellets, running video and a capacity report back in 3\u20137 days.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"acts\"><a href=\"\/get-a-quote\/\">Get a quote<\/a>\n<a class=\"alt\" href=\"\/get-a-quote\/#trial\">Send material for trial<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/main>\n<aside><h5>On this page<\/h5><ol><li><a href=\"#situation\">The situation: flake in, price out<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#found\">What a PET flake pelletizing line has to control<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#changed\">How the line is set for flake that varies<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#result\">Result<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#line\">Line configuration<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#transfer\">What transfers to your line<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n<div class=\"sidecard\"><b>Sending flake?<\/b>\n<p>Tell us the source (bale or washed), the IV you buy at and the IV you need to sell. We return a drying time and a screw geometry, not a machine size.<\/p>\n<a class=\"btn\" href=\"\/get-a-quote\/\">Ask an engineer<\/a>\n<a class=\"btn ghost\" href=\"\/cases\/\">All case studies<\/a><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@graph\": [{\"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How much IV is lost in one pass on a PET flake pelletizing line?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"0.02\u20130.05 dL\/g when the flake is dried to below 50 ppm. Wet flake can lose 0.1 dL\/g or more in a single pass, and that loss cannot be recovered by re-pelletising.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can you run bottle flake without a crystalliser and dryer?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"The line will run on undried flake. You cannot sell the pellets at bottle or fibre prices. 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You cover the freight; the trial itself is free.\"}}]}]}<\/script>\n<div class=\"wrap\"><section class=\"k3-more\" id=\"rm-more\"><h2>PET flake pelletizing line \u2014 the short version<\/h2><p>Note on pet flake pelletizing line: the readings in this record come from the commissioning log of the line described, and the settings are the ones that were left with the customer. Treat them as a starting point for your own material, not as a guarantee \u2014 the same correction on a different filler grade or carrier ends in a different number.<\/p><p class=\"k3-rel\"><b>Related on this site:<\/b> <a href=\"\/applications\/\">Extrusion lines by application<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/machines\/\">Twin screw extruder types<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/get-a-quote\/\">free extrusion line quotation<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Extrusion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikipedia: Extrusion<\/a><\/p><\/section><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home\/Case studies\/Cambodia Case study 4 \u00b7 Cambodia \u00b7 PET bottle flake PET flake pelletizing line holding IV 0.6\u20130.79: a KTE-75B in Cambodia A bottle-flake recycler in Cambodia bought a KTE-75B after running their own flake on it in Nanjing. The PET flake pelletizing line now returns pellets in the 0.6\u20130.79 dL\/g range from flake that [&#8230;]\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2357,"parent":2288,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-blank.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"application":[],"app_group":[],"class_list":["post-2293","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2293\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"application","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/application?post=2293"},{"taxonomy":"app_group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerkepm.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/app_group?post=2293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}