Evonik is developing solutions that enhance the chemical recycling of plastics, with specialised catalysts and adsorbents to improve the quality of pyrolysis oil. The pyrolysis process sees plastic waste broken down into its chemical building blocks at high temperatures and in the absence of oxygen.
Evonik
Evonik enhances the chemical recycling of plastics
Pyrolysis oil can supplement fossil feedstocks like naphtha derived from crude oil; it can also be further processed in steam crackers, producing the essential building blocks for new plastics, like ethylene and propylene. However, pyrolysis oil can contain impurities like chlorine, nitrogen, or silicon, compromising the efficiency and operational safety of steam crackers.
“Cracker operators apply strict quality standards to the feedstocks they use,” said Hendrik Rasch, who is responsible for Circular Packaging and Plastics Recycling in Evonik’s Next Markets Program. “This is precisely where our products come in. They help to significantly improve the quality of pyrolysis oil.”
Evonik’s Purocel product line offers adsorbents designed to remove impurities from pyrolysis oil, with Purocel 505 combining the two processes. Chlorine atoms are separated from larger molecules in a catalytic reaction, and then the resulting hydrogen chloride is bound.
For applications with higher requirements, Evonik enhances adsorption with hydrotreating. Hydrogen reacts with remaining impurities, converting them into volatile compounds. Recycled Purocel H catalysts are used in this process.
Additionally, Evonik offers modular systems for integration into existing facilities. With its Rocket Technology, Evonik provides pre-configured column modules containing adsorbents like Purocel 510. These units can be flexibly connected to both pyrolysis plants and steam crackers.
“Our solutions demonstrate how technological innovation can advance the circular economy,” said Rasch. “We are convinced that chemical recycling is a key pillar of a sustainable plastics economy.”