Plastic pyrolysis – Repolywise unveils technology to break down plastic waste at atomic level 05-10-2024
Plastic pyrolysis
QM Recycled Energy installs pre-treatment system pending arrival pyrolysis system
The Q20 Pre-treatment system in place in factory prior to commissioning
Eagle Technology has developed a containerised system called Vixla that uses pyrolysis technology to transform waste plastic into arenewable resource with minimal emissions and energy consumption.
QMRE will be Eagle’s first commercial site.
However, prior to the installation of the Vixla, QMRE has now installed a comprehensive pre-treatment system – necessary to help ensure the oil created from the plastic waste provides the required level of purity. Plastic pyrolysis
Advanced recycling plant closes chain of crisp bags and yoghurt pots
The port of Antwerp has gained a new international landmark. Indaver Plastics2Chemicals is opening its first industrial plant for the advanced recycling of Polystyrene and Polyolefins—two families of plastics. Thanks to a self-developed technology, food packaging made from these materials will be recycled into new raw materials. Remarkably, the quality and purity of these raw materials are so high that producers can use them again in primary food packaging. Yogurt cups will remain yogurt cups—time and time again. And that is a European first. Plastic pyrolysis
Circular approach for all plastics
Plastics2Chemicals (P2C) will focus in the coming years specifically on the plastic types Polystyrene (PS)—think of yogurt cups, meat trays, and mushroom containers—and Polyolefins (PO)—such as chip bags and films. This choice is not surprising.
“A circular approach is a challenge for all plastics, but especially for PS and PO,” says Paul De Bruycker, CEO of Indaver. “The reason we chose PS and PO out of more than 100 tested feedstocks is that these materials are currently mechanically recycled into recyclate that is not of sufficient quality to be reused for food packaging, while part of it ends up in the incinerator. Plastic pyrolysis
Through advanced recycling, P2C instead brings certified recyclate to the market that is equivalent to virgin plastics. This helps us avoid the extraction of new, raw materials.”
“By recycling plastics on an industrial scale into raw materials that are as high in quality and purity as their fossil-based counterparts, we avoid the extraction of new, raw materials. We can be proud that the first installation capable of achieving this is located in Belgium.” – Paul De Bruycker, CEO of Indaver Plastic pyrolysis
Northvolt’s Green-Industry Sibling Forges On in Fabric Recycling
A Swedish textile-recycling startup that shares roots with struggling Northvolt AB says it’s plowing ahead with the similar challenge of taking on an entrenched Chinese industry.
Like EV battery maker Northvolt, Syre AB plans to ramp up rapidly — the manufacturing firm targets building 12 recycling plants over the next decade.
The two also share an anchor investor: Vargas Holding, a serial founder of clean-industry entrants ranging from batteries to steel to heat pumps. Retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB is Syre’s other founding investor. Plastic pyrolysis
“Things are going according to plan and at full speed,” Chief Executive Officer Dennis Nobelius said in an interview. “We are aiming for 3% of world fiber production within a decade. That may not sound like much, but that kind of scale does not exist today outside of China.”
Syre raised $100 million to build a pilot polyester-recycling factory in North Carolina that’s set to start operations this year. The company also has plans to use the funds for two large recycling plants, one in Vietnam and one in Iberia. By 2032, it’s targeting worldwide capacity of more than 3 million metric tons of circular polyester fabric sourced from used textiles. Plastic pyrolysis
Northvolt’s ambitious expansion has been a factor in the liquidity crisis the company is now trying to resolve. As it built more plants, quality and output levels suffered at its main factory in northern Sweden. A slowdown in demand for EVs has also played a role in its troubles.
Alongside Vargas, H&M remains committed to scaling rapidly to give the clothing industry access to recycled materials, said Nanna Andersen, the retailer’s chief of new growth and ventures. Plastic pyrolysis
“Historically, it usually takes a long time” for capital intensive materials-technology startups to reach a significant size, Andersen said in an interview. “We see this as a great opportunity to scale much faster, together with a strong financial partner.”
Repolywise unveils technology to break down plastic waste at atomic level
Repolywise, a start-up founded by Oxford University researchers, has announced the development of its ‘Atomic Scissors’ technology, aiming to tackle the growing global plastic waste crisis. Plastic pyrolysis
The technology is supported by £375,000 in grants from Innovate UK, and involves a hydrocracking process to break down waste plastics at the atomic level. In its current lab-scale capacity, the technology has apparently demonstrated the ‘efficient, selective, and high yielding’ degradation of assorted samples of polyolefins.
The start-up says the Atomic Scissors process converts plastic waste into propane in a one-step process. This propane is then sold to the petrochemical industry where it is dehydrogenated or cracked into olefins before being used in the production of new polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Plastic pyrolysis
This approach hopes to help reduce plastic waste and support the circular economy by creating valuable raw materials for new plastic products. Repolywise states that polyolefin plastics account for approximately 50% of the 330 billion kilograms of plastics produced globally each year.
It adds that these types of plastics are challenging to recycle using conventional methods, often leading to downcycling into lower-quality materials. The Atomic Scissors solution hopes to offer a way to recycle these materials back into high-quality polypropylene, ready for reuse in the production of new plastic products. Plastic pyrolysis
Techmer PM, a global leader in polymer materials design, has acquired OptiColor, Inc., a specialist in color concentrates and masterbatches
This move strengthens Techmer’s innovation leadership in colorants and additives for the plastics industry.
Founded in 1995 in Huntington Beach, Calif., OptiColor is known for custom compounding in critical applications such as eyewear, military lasers, and sustainable lighting. Their range includes transparent, opaque, and specialty color products. Plastic pyrolysis
Mike McHenry, CEO of Techmer PM, expressed excitement about the acquisition, highlighting OptiColor’s quality materials and expertise, which will enhance Techmer’s capabilities in color concentrates and expand its technological portfolio. Jon Rogers, VP of Global Sales and Marketing, emphasized that this acquisition underscores Techmer’s commitment to the plastics market and innovation.
Jennifer Bryan, OptiColor’s CEO since 2021, joins Techmer as VP of Technical Sales for optics, laser, lighting, and sheet. She believes the partnership will allow OptiColor to benefit from Techmer’s resources, fostering continued innovation and high-quality customer solutions. Plastic pyrolysis
The acquisition was finalized on October 1, 2024. Financial terms were not disclosed. This follows Techmer’s acquisition of Advanced Color Technologies, aligning with their strategy of expanding offerings in technical and innovation-focused markets.
Plastic pyrolysis