Chemical Recycling of Plastics
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Chemical recycling of plastics Muhammad Saad Qureshi Anja Oasmaa 22.04.2020 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 1 Interdisciplinary Industrial solutions thought developed by leadership 100 teams since 1942 1000+ of research and World class innovation projects research labs incl. Fortune 500 and facilities partners VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner. We drive sustainable growth and tackle the Doctoral level biggest global challenges of our time and turn Cutting-edge teams, 80% of them into growth opportunities. We go beyond technologies from employees with the obvious to help the society and companies space to university to grow through technological innovations. VTT microbiology degrees is at the sweet spot where innovation and under one roof business come together. www.vttresearch.com 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 2 Questions I expect to answer from this presentation . Q1. From the packaging point of view, how chemical recycling will change the recycling of plastic in the future? . Q2. Is it more eco friendly than the recycling of plastics at the moment? How? . Q3. What advantages this new method has? . Q4. How does this chemical recycled end material differ from the “traditionally” recycled plastics? . Q5. How does the end material (granulates?) differ from each other between these two methods? 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 3 Plastic waste management has many fronts… • At VTT we are aware of the challenges Waste Design for EOL statistics recyclability involved in this problem. • We believe that for true circular economy, Complexity of Pre- Recycling waste treatment technology the whole plastic recycling value chain needs active research and innovative solutions Products Upgrading Standardisation Legis- Markets lations 29.4.2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 4 Contents . About VTT . Current state of plastic packaging recycling . Definitions . Technologies in perspective . Kinds of plastic waste – what goes where . Chemical recycling techniques . Plastic recycling main bottlenecks . What makes chemical recycling attractive? . Is chemical recycling eco-friendly? . Some VTT example projects 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 5 Global flows of plastic packaging material - 2013 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017 6 VTT plastic recycling platforms Municipal waste Industrial waste Litter from nature Collection and possible pretreatment Mechanical recycling Chemical recycling Biological & bio- tech recycling Valorization, compounding Leaching Thermochemical recycling Composting, High-tech Granulation Other chemical (anaerobic) bio- Gasification Liquefaction fermentation technology recycling RECYCLED PLASTIC De-polymerization Pyrolysis Syngas oil Compounding, granulation Polymers Monomers CO2, H2O, CH4; variety of small molecules Monomers, chemicals, fuels Pohjakallio, Vuorinen, VTT 2018 7 Definition Chemical, or feedstock, recycling is a general term used to describe innovative technologies where post-consumer plastic waste is converted into valuable chemicals, to be used as feedstock by the chemical industry. These technologies include pyrolysis, gasification, chemical depolymerization, catalytic cracking & reforming, and hydrogenation. With chemical recycling plastic waste is converted into feedstock, i.e. monomers, oligomers and higher hydrocarbons that can be used to produce virgin-like polymers to create new plastic articles – Plastic recyclers Europe Chemical recycling means chemically or thermochemically processing waste plastic into raw material for the chemical industry. Chemical recycling can complement mechanical recycling by utilizing waste plastic streams that currently have no or low value in recycling. - NESTE Chemical recycling can be divided into three different categories depending on the level of decomposition that the plastic waste will be subject to 1. S olvent based purification = plastics to plastics 2. Chemical depolymerization = plastics to monomers via chemicalreac tion 3. Thermal depolymerization = plastics to monomers via thermal degradation – Zero Waste Europe 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 8 Putting technologies in perspective El dorado of chemical recycling – Zero Waste Europe 2019 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 9 Know your plastic waste! 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.07.044 10 Chemical Recycling Techniques Solvent based purification Pilot examples . Based on the solubility of the polymer in • CreaSolv (DE) the certain type of solvent • APK – Newcycling (AUT) • Polystyvert (CAN) . The solvent dissolves the polymer and • Ineos (DE) the impurities are removed • PureCycle (USA) . Near virgin quality polymers recovered as precipitates . Strict upstream sorting system . Only homogenous plastics are possible . Relatively high technical requirements . Economic and environmental viability unclear 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 12 Chemical depolymerization Examples . Described as the exact reverse of polymerization • IONIQA (NL) - glycolysis . Polymers are converted back to monomers, • GARBO (IT) - glycolysis oligomers with the help of solvent and heat • LOOP (USA)– methanolysis . Solvent breaks the bond • Sopraloop R&D (FR) – MC+CH • GR3N (SZ) – hydrolysis • Hydrolysis = water as solvent • IFPEN Axens (FR) – glycolysis • Alcoholysis = alcohol as solvent • RAMPF Eco – glycolysis of PU • Aminolysis = amines as solvent . Suitable for condensation polymers for example PET, PA, PU, PLA, PHA, PC . Strict upstream sorting system Bis-HydroxyEthyl-Terephthalate (BHET) . Only homogenous plastics are possible . Environmental LCA unclear Ethylene Glycol (EG) and DiMethyl Terephthalate (DMT) . Economic viability unclear 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious Ethylene Glycol (EG) and Terephthalic Acid (TPA) 13 Thermochemical conversion Pyrolysis Pilot examples . Thermal degradation of plastics into liquid fuel • Agilyx (USA) components • Plastic energy (SP) . Suitable to end of life non recyclable plastics • Recycling technologies (UK) • ResPolyflow (USA) . Valuable hydrocarbons recovered including • PHJK (FI) monomers for re-polymerization • Nexus (USA) . Heterogeneous plastics treated . Selectivity and yield can be optimized with the use of a suitable catalyst . Mild pretreatment needed . Energy intensive process – process gas recycled . Moderately large CAPEX . Post treatment might be needed depending on the contaminants 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 14 Thermochemical conversion Gasification Pilot examples • Enerkem (CAN) - MSW . Plastic waste is gasified into synthesis gas • Lahti gasifier (CO and H2 – building blocks for chemicals) in • Texaco the presence of steam or air. • Corenso-StoraEnso . CO and H2 can provide a variety of valuable chemicals . Pretreatment is not needed . Heterogeneous waste possible . Energy intensive process . Gas cleaning necessary . High CAPEX required . Large infrastructures needed to be profitable 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 15 Plastic recycling bottlenecks Unavailability or discrete presence of plastic waste feedstock Heterogeneous plastic waste Hazardous substances might be present Legislations and environmental impacts unclear Recycled plastic quality low and price uncompetitive to virgin 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 16 Chemical recycling options - summary 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 17 What makes chemical recycling attractive? Provides source of energy Nearly all plastic waste can be recycled Eco-friendly fuel Chemicals from waste resource Range of products Environmentally favourable Food good material Easy integrations to existing infra 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 18 Chemical recycling is complimentary . Optimising collection and sorting . Optimising conversion and post-treatment . Improve the efficiency of . Improve conversion technologies - effect of collection, monitoring, reactor type, modelling/up-scaling sorting . Product design Chemical Waste Pretreatment Upgrading Products recycling Pretreatment REJECTS Mechanical . Optimising mechanical recycling recycling . Plastic waste not suitable for mechanical recycling to Products be processed by pyrolysis Is chemical recycling eco-friendly? . Sustainability is context specific, and results are always sensitive to applied assumptions and data. Using waste plastic as raw material reduces the carbon footprint of end products and decreases dependency on crude oil. Chemical recycling processes for plastics recycling are still quite new and existing analysis are led by the industries themselves. A thorough ISO compliant LCA is needed for big capacity chemical recycling plants. While a lot of research is done for health and safety impacts, a thorough health and safety impacts assessment is needed for an operational big capacity plants. 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 20 Some example projects at VTT 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 21 EU NONTOX 2019-22 - Removing hazardous compounds from WEEE, ELV and C&D plastics • Smart sorting • Combination of intelligent recycling technologies • Enhanced properties of recycled plastics Contact: [email protected] BF BioFlex 2020-23 - Production of sustainable storable liquid fuels for flexible power generation and marine transport 29/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious Contact: [email protected] 23 BF Co-Creation Urban Mill - New urban recycling concept for plastic and fiber waste 29.4.2020 Contact: [email protected] BF – Kelmuvex – New solutions for discharged plastic waste Debris mapping Novel debris with sensors collection mounted