Clariant, Borealis, and SINTEF have completed a pilot-scale project to upgrade pyrolysis oil from plastic waste into cracker-grade feedstock, said to be suitable for virgin polyolefin production.
The pilot took place at SINTEF’s state-of-the-art research facility in Norway and utilized Clariant’s specialized catalysts, HDMax for pyrolysis oil and HYDEX for hydrocracking, to produce feedstock suitable for steam crackers.
Unlike technologies that require three to four reactors and separate processes, HDMax is said to achieve all required specifications in a single multi-layer hydrotreating reactor. This is thought to reduce capital investment, operational, and energy consumption.
The technology also produces naphtha-like hydrocarbon fractions through subsequent hydrocracking, which is believed to bolster process efficiency and product flexibility.
Borealis also defined the target quality of the pyrolysis oil in the pilot, contributing its knowledge of polyolefin production from its Borcycle C portfolio.
Reportedly, the HDMax catalyst achieved full conversion across all critical parameters. This includes complete saturation of dienes without gum formation, considered to be essential for downstream processing.
Contaminants like oxygenates, nitrogenates, and halogenides were also completely converted. With all product quality specifications met, the partners state that the technology is ready to be upscaled at an industry level.
Through this pilot, the partners aimed to recycle plastics without impacting their quality, thus supporting the transition into a circular economy.
“This successful collaboration proves that closed-loop plastic recycling can work effectively on an industrial scale,” said Gene Mueller, VP and head of Ethylene at Clariant Catalysts. “Our HDMax catalyst technology enables plastic waste to be converted back into feedstock that meets the stringent quality requirements of steam crackers, creating a true circular pathway for plastics.”
In similar news, Zeopore Technologies and BioBTX have announced a ‘major advancement’ in converting waste plastics and biomass into circular aromatics. Apparently, they have achieved up to 100% yield increase in benzene, toluene, and xylene by combining BioBTX’s Integrated Cascading Catalytic Pyrolysis technology with Zeopore’s tailored mesoporous zeolite catalysts.
PolyCycl has also received Series A investment from Rainmatter by Zerodha, which will be used to deploy its technology for recycling low-grade plastic waste into feedstock for the production of low-carbon materials. Its approach turns plastic waste, including single-use polythene bags, into hydrocarbon oils to be used as feedstock in further material production, including food-grade virgin plastics.
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