Plastic pellets, also called plastic resin, are the main base of all plastics. Basically, most of the recycled materials are processed by crushing, grinding and washing. Then, the half-processed material are melted through high temperature and pressure, and shaped into pellets. The shapes of pellets can be different depending on the different pelletizing methods.
Hot Cut
Melt pelletizing (hot cut): Melt coming from a die that is almost immediately cut into pellets that are conveyed and cooled by liquid or gas.
Strand Cut
Strand pelletizing (cold cut): Melt coming from a die head is converted into strands that are cut into pellets after cooling and solidification.
Underwater Pelletizing
Underwater strand pelletizing is a sophisticated automatic process. But this method of production is used primarily in some virgin polymer production, such as for polyesters, nylons, and styrenic polymers, and has no common application in today's compounding.