再生PVC:管材型材地板都在用,稳定体系对了能撑很多年

塑料知识科普 发布时间: 2026-09-14 3922 阅读

The drainage pipe on your balcony that's been used for over ten years, pale but never leaked, the plastic steel window that hasn't faded for nearly twenty years, and the wood-grain plastic flooring underfoot—all are most likely made of PVC. And when these things are used for disposal, they don't really disappear; instead, they're recycled, crushed, repelled, and then returned to the pipe and profile factory production lines. This is the daily life of recycled PVC: it's never flashy, yet it has already quietly seeped into every pipe in your life.

Let's take two minutes to get to know the main character. Ningbo Kelong New Materials Co., Ltd. is an integrated supplier of plastic raw materials for industry and trade, long-term production of recycled plastic raw materials, covering PP, PE, ABS, PC, PET, PVC, and other fields. The recycled PVC we're talking about today is recycled and recycled from polyvinyl chloride. PVC is a bit special: it has poor thermal stability, and without stabilizers during processing, it will decompose and release hydrogen chloride, turning yellow and then black; So whether it's new or recycled material, factories making PVC really hold the key to life not resin, but barrels of stabilizers. The sources of recycled PVC are also diverse—discarded drainage pipes, plastic steel doors and windows, waste cable casings, old floor leather, artificial leather products. After sorting, screening, and crushing, they are either used directly as powdered non-additive plastic (called PVC-U in the industry) or melted and extruded into granular recycled plastic (called PVC-P in the industry). GB/T 40006.11—2024 "Plastics—Recycled Plastics Part 11: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Materials" sets the rules for it, officially implemented from April 1, 2025.

Recycled PVC is not just about picking up scraps, but about remixing the formula

Many people still think of recycled PVC as "recycled waste, and the pipes made from it are unreliable." This might have made sense twenty years ago, but today it's outdated. The real difficulty with recycled PVC has never been "whether it can be used," but whether the formula keeps up.

New PVC resin arrives at the factory, clean, with uniform molecular weight, plasticizers and stabilizers all formulated according to new formulas, just follow the mature formula. Recycled PVC is different: when it arrives, the resin may already contain calcium carbonate, old stabilizers, residual plasticizers, impurities of varying colors, and molecular weight has dropped a bit from the last processing. If you use the new formula directly, problems are likely to arise—the color becomes dark, the surface rough, and the extrusion is unstable. So when making recycled PVC, the job is to reformulate a bunch of "semi-old materials": how much stabilizer to add, how much plasticizer to add, how much new material to add as a base, how much filler to add—all based on experience and testing data, gradually adjusting. If the formula is right, recycled material can last for many years without issue; If the formula is wrong, it will change color and become brittle in three months.

GB/T 40006.11—2024 describes this "formula base" in great detail: recycled materials must have uniform particles, consistent color, and no impurities, oil, foreign matter, or mold; There is a clear upper limit for odor levels; Heavy metals, as well as DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP, and several types of phthalic plasticizers, all have limit requirements. These terms don't emphasize "recycling," but whether harmful substances are controlled during the recycling process.

Break through the hard and soft barriers. The PVC family uses hard pipes and hard profiles called unplasticized polyvinyl chloride, abbreviated as PVC-U in the industry, with no plasticizers added in the formula, relying on filling and reinforcement to improve hardness and rigidity; Plastic PVC used for cable sheaths, artificial leather, and flexible hoses is called plasticized polyvinyl chloride, abbreviated as PVC-P in the industry. The formula contains plasticizers, so it is soft and elastic. After recycling, these two materials cannot be mixed indiscriminately—if hard materials are mixed into soft materials, the resulting pipes become soft and unstable in size; If hard materials are mixed into soft materials, the sheaths become hard and crack. Therefore, the first step in recycling PVC entering factories is to separate the hard and soft parts. If separated incorrectly, no matter how much the formula is supplemented, it cannot be restored.

The recycling process is also not complicated: waste PVC products are first sorted by hardness and color, removing impurities like metal, wood, and rubber, then crushed, washed, and dried. Some hard PVC products are ground directly into powder for extruding and mixing, while others are melted and pelletized; Soft materials are generally pelletized into PVC-P pellets because they contain plasticizers. The key to the entire production line is not crushing—everyone has a crusher, but in the "sorting" step: the cleaner and purer the separation, the higher the grade and the more expensive the material produced; If the separation is confused and hard and soft are mixed together, only low-filling, low-demand miscellaneous parts can be made. This is also why, even though it's called "recycled PVC," the price can vary significantly—the key issue is the sorting skills.

Figure 1 Recycled PVC pipe extrusion workshop

If you choose the right stabilizer, recycled PVC can stand up

To understand recycled PVC, first catch up on the stabilizer course. The biggest concern during PVC processing is staying at high temperatures; if overheated, it decomposes and changes color. The stabilizer's job is to "hold" it at processing temperature, allowing it to melt and form properly rather than turning black on the spot. Because recycled materials have undergone a round of processing, their base is weaker, and they rely even more heavily on stabilizers than new materials. There are only a few mainstream stabilization systems in the industry, each with its own niche:

lead and salt stabilization systems, which have good thermal stability and low cost, can be used for hard pipes, profiles, and cable materials, and have been widely used historically; But lead is a heavy metal, with increasingly strict toxicity and environmental restrictions, shrinking in residential, water supply, and export products. Calcium-zinc composite systems, environmentally friendly and compliant with RoHS requirements, are increasingly common for making water supply pipes, profiles, and cable materials, but the downside is that formulation adjustments are more particular. Organotin systems have good transparency and high thermal stability, so making transparent sheets is indispensable, but they are expensive and lubricants must be separately prepared. In terms of usage, hard pipes and profiles are generally added 2 to 4 parts per 100 parts resin, while cable materials and similar soft products are added 3 to 5 parts. How you choose this system directly determines whether and where your recycled PVC can be used.

Ningbo Kelong New Materials Co., Ltd. When coordinating with customers with recycled PVC, the first thing is not to quote but to clarify the purpose: hard or soft products, extrusion or injection molding, and whether the product meets environmental and export requirements. Once the purpose is decided, then adjust the stabilizer system and material grade, which can avoid many detours.

There's another detail that many new customers overlook: the 'feeding habits' of recycled PVC are different from new materials. New resin has uniform molecular weight, so screw speed and temperature range can be followed by the process alone; Because recycled material has mixed sources and varying molecular weights, the same extruder may need to re-examine the temperature profile, feeding speed, and screw combinations. That's why it's important to leave some adjustment margin for the first few batches of recycled material—don't run at full load right away, test the process window first, then scale up. These experiences are built up by one factory at a time; it's not something you can learn just by reading a page at TDS.

The table below clarifies common recycled PVC grades on the market by source and use, with data based on GB/T 40006.11—2024 and industry public information.

Grade NameMain Source/ProcessKey Control ItemsTypical Uses
Recycled PVC-U Hard Pipe Grade MaterialWaste Pipes and Fittings Crushed and SortedUniform Particle and Consistent Color, Heavy Metals and Phthalene Plasticizers Meet StandardsDrainage pipes, pipe fittings, conduit pipes
Recycled PVC-U profile grade materialPlastic steel doors and windows, profile offcutsMachinability and weld corner strength controllableProfiles, ceiling panels, skirting boards, louvers
Recycled PVC soft granules (PVC-P)Recycling of old cable sheaths and soft products into granulesThe limit for phthalate plasticizers meets the standard, and the insulation is qualified.Cable sheaths, hoses, artificial leather
Recycled PVC flooring materialRecycling and reuse of linoleum and floor tilesThe filler content is relatively high, and wear and indentation resistance is controllablePVC flooring, vinyl flooring, floor mats
Recycled PVC Transparent GradeTransparent soft sheets, film recyclingFewer impurities, better light transmissionTransparency sheets, stationery, blister packaging
Recycled PVC-U powderHard products are crushed but not granulatedMeets the requirements for non-plasticized powderPipe material extrusion, modification and blending

Table Note: The above is compiled based on GB/T 40006.11—2024 "Plastics—Recycled Plastics—Part 11: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Materials" and publicly available industry information; the standard imposes limits on plasticizers (such as DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP), heavy metals, and odor levels. For more grades and physical property parameters, refer to the manufacturer's official TDS.

The costs need to be included in the formula; just comparing ingredient prices can easily lead to losses.

The cost reduction account for recycled PVC needs to be examined more closely than for other materials. In terms of material price, recycled PVC is indeed cheaper than new resin, which is why industries like pipes, profiles, and flooring, which have large volumes and are cost-sensitive, use it in bulk. But the PVC industry has a unique characteristic that some other materials don't: the money you save on material costs can very likely be eaten up by stabilizers, machine adjustments, and defective products. So making decisions based solely on the price per ton is particularly risky in the PVC industry.

For example: using cheap recycled rigid pipe material with insufficient stabilizer can cause yellowing or discoloration if the extrusion temperature is slightly high, resulting in a batch of pipes with uneven color, and customers complaining about color differences. To cut costs, if the recycled material is added too aggressively, the corner weld strength may not meet standards, and when profiles are installed in windows, they can crack easily, leading to rework and compensation, negating any savings. Ningbo Kolon New Materials Co., Ltd. reminds customers: when calculating the cost of recycled PVC, you must account for the cost of stabilizers, blending ratios, yield rate, and returns—you cannot just focus on the price difference per ton of material.

Cost itemsVirgin PVCRecycled PVC (Grade A)Difference Explanation
Resin purchase priceBenchmark priceA bit lowerThe main advantages of recycled materials are obvious in pipes, profiles, and flooring.
Stabilizer costPrepared according to the mature new formulaMay need to add stabilizer/adjust the systemIngredients that are weak at the base require more stabilizer.
Processing yieldStableThe formula needs to be adjusted initiallyIf the mixing ratio and stabilizer are not matched, defective products will result.
Appearance/Color DifferenceEvenProne to darkening and mixed colorsThe natural color grade is more expensive, and the mixed color grade is cheaper.
Environmental complianceMatureOrtho-phthalates and heavy metals need to be tested to meet standardsStricter requirements for water supply/export/food-related matters
Comprehensive costTallIf the formula is right, it will be lowerThe formula is incorrect, and all the saved money will have to be paid back.

The list of boundaries has also been prepared for you:

Safe to use: Drain pipes, conduit pipes, ordinary profiles, clip-on baseboards, vinyl flooring, artificial leather, and non-transparent soft products are the main applications for recycled PVC.

Be careful: water pipes, products that come into contact with food, stabilizer systems, and plasticizers should be selected according to environmental and sanitary requirements and pass inspection; transparent products must use transparent grade, and don't force mixed-color materials.

Do not touch: For key load-bearing profiles that have strict requirements for long-term weather resistance and high weld-angle strength, the proportion of recycled material must be controlled; waste with unknown sources, mixed with metal and oil contamination, and not meeting heavy metal and phthalate standards, cannot be used no matter how cheap it is.

Whether the pipe has changed color will only be clear after three months.

Let's first talk about a pitfall that many factories in the industry have encountered (the details have been summarized for easier understanding). A factory around Ningbo that produces drainage pipes bought a batch of cheap recycled PVC rigid material a couple of years ago, still using the formulation for new material. At first, the extrusion seemed fine, but the pipes produced turned noticeably yellow and darker in less than three months, and the surface became rough, leading to customer complaints about color differences. Initially, they thought it was a problem with the material, switched to another supplier, but the results were the same, causing them to struggle for several months.

Later, through connections with industry peers, this factory got in touch with Ningbo Kolon New Materials Co., Ltd. Kolon New Materials examined the samples and their formulation sheet, and quickly pinpointed the problem: the recycled rigid material was relatively old, and the originally added amount of stabilizer was insufficient, so it couldn't withstand the extrusion temperature, causing the material to discolor when overheated. The following approach was taken: the recycled and new materials were blended in appropriate proportions, and a suitable composite stabilizer system was formulated for applications like drainage and wire threading, with dosages adjusted according to phr; at the same time, each batch of material had to include test reports for heavy metals and phthalate plasticizers. After making these adjustments, the extrusion temperature stabilized, the pipes became uniformly colored, did not yellow over time, and the welded corner strength met the standards again. The factory then consistently followed this formulation, and since then, no products have been returned due to color differences or weather resistance issues.

In the recycled PVC industry, the price of the material is just the entry ticket; the real skill lies in the formulation. Cheap materials, when paired with the right stabilizing system, can last for many years; expensive materials, if formulated incorrectly, will show problems in just three months. Honestly, more recycled PVC doesn't necessarily mean more savings. Beyond a certain proportion, the processing window narrows and yield can actually decrease. Finding that mix ratio that is both cost-effective and stable is the real deal. There is no universal formula for this ratio; it has to be determined gradually based on the equipment, molds, and product requirements — and this is exactly where long-term supply relationships can be helpful.

(Note: The plot is summarized based on common industry issues and is not a record of any actual transaction.)

First think clearly about what part to make, then decide what material to use.

Finally, compile common scenarios and recommended levels into a quick reference table for procurement to use.

Application scenarioRecommendation LevelPrecautionsWhen not to use
Drainage pipes / Conduit pipesRecycled PVC-U rigid pipe grade materialFormatting compatible composite stabilizerHigh hygiene water supply requirements
Plastic steel profiles / snap-in panelsRecycled PVC-U profile grade materialSpot weld strength and weather resistanceBe cautious when using critical load-bearing exterior window components
Cable Sheath/HoseRecycled PVC-P soft pelletsPhthalate plasticizers must meet standardsSituations requiring high insulation standards
PVC flooring / vinyl flooringRecycled PVC flooring materialAccept higher filler contentHigh wear-resistant, quiet, high-end flooring – use with caution
Transparent sheets / StationeryRecycled PVC Transparent GradeFew impurities, good light transmissionMixed-color recycled material used for transparent parts
Modified blending / cost reductionRecycled PVC-U powderBlend with new material proportionally as a safety netPurely regenerated material directly used for making high-precision parts

It’s safe to use recycled materials for drainage and wiring parts; don’t skimp on materials for drinking water components; don’t gamble with heavy metals for export orders—how you choose materials depends on what kind of part you are making.

Recycled PVC, with a stable system, can be used for many years

Ningbo Kelong New Materials Co., Ltd. has long been supplying recycled PVC raw materials, covering multiple grades of soft and rigid types, used in pipes, profiles, flooring, cable materials, artificial leather, and other applications. How to choose the stabilizer system for recycled PVC? What are the differences between soft and rigid formulations?

Disclaimer: The brands and trademarks mentioned in this article are owned by their respective manufacturers. This article is a third-party material selection knowledge sharing, and the specific grades, parameters, prices, certifications, and other information mentioned herein are subject to the latest official information from each manufacturer. This article does not constitute any procurement or investment advice.

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