Borealis announces Polyethylene recycling process

Borealis has announced the capability to use its proprietary Borcycle C chemical recycling process to recycle crosslinked polyethylene (PE) types such as XLPE and PE-X into recycled polyethylene. 

The company claims that the recycled PE obtained in the pyrolysis process can replace virgin PE in the manufacture of XLPE and PE-X for use in the Wire & Cable and Infrastructure industries, respectively. 

Borealis believes that for cable networks, XLPE offers cost effectiveness and flexibility in installation. When used as insulation in low voltage electrical cables, XLPE boasts a better overall life-cycle impact than alternative materials: less of this lighter-weight material is required to provide top cable system performance. PE-X is deployed in a wide range of advanced polyolefin plumbing and heating pipes, the company claims that the product is particularly suited for coping with demanding environments.

Compared to conventional materials, Borealis claims the natural properties of crosslinked PE-X offer some advantages, including toughness, chemical resistance and durability at high temperatures. Up until recently, however, it was difficult to recycle XLPE or PE-X in such a way as to obtain the virgin-like PE required for these high-performance applications. Plastic waste was pre-treated and fed into the Borcycle C chemical recycling process. This chemically-recycled material was analysed and determined to be suitable for use as cracker feedstock in the production of new ethylene in the manufacture of virgin-grade XLPE and PE-X.

  Borcycle C converts plastic waste streams into value-added products. These chemical recycling solutions  are aimed to complement mechanical recycling by turning difficult-to-recycle plastics – like crosslinked polyethylene – into virgin-level grade materials with the highest safety and performance characteristics. 

Grades in the Borcycle C portfolio of circular polyolefins are ISCC PLUS certified according to the third-party mass balance methodology. This allows the customer to track and quantify the effective circular feedstock used at each step in the manufacturing process. When customers choose grades from the Borcycle C portfolio, they are replacing fossil fuel-based feedstock with an identical volume of circular feedstock without incurring extra switching costs, and – most importantly, Borealis claims they are able to do so while maintaining the same high application quality. 

Bart Verheule, Borealis Global Commercial Director Energy said:  “True too our EverMinds mindset, we’re proud to provide a long sought-after solution for XLPE recycling. Having pioneered the development of advanced insulation and jacketing systems, we are now making them more circular as well, As Borealis Energy celebrates its 60th year as a reliable and trusted partner to our customers and value chain partners, we intend to keep re-inventing essentials for sustainable living in both the Wire & Cable and Infrastructure sectors.”