BASF Launches Product Portfolio for Chemical Recycling

BASF has once again expanded its offering for plastic recycling, this time with a specific portfolio designed for chemical recycling.

Its PuriCycle product line includes catalysts and adsorbents for the selective removal or conversion of various impurities from pyrolysis oils produced during chemical recycling of waste plastics, which are then fed into new plastic production processes early in the value chain. .

The purification of pyrolysis oil obtained from waste plastics is one of the most demanding technical tasks in chemical plastics recycling. Impurities, such as halogens, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur compounds, and higher reactive components, such as dienes, complicate downstream use and impose severe restrictions on the production of new materials for further processing of these streams.

Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President Process Catalysts at BASF, said the ability of PuriCycle products to purify these challenging pyrolysis oil streams is a major contribution to helping close the plastics cycle, minimising waste and ultimately opening up new feedstocks for the chemical industry.

BASF has also developed a range of solutions for the mechanical recycling process, some of which are being showcased at Europlastics Recycling 2022 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, including technologies and products to identify plastic grades, improve the efficiency of recycling cleaning processes, and Improve the quality of recycled polymeric materials.

The company showcased a mobile near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy solution called trinamiX – a handheld solution that combines a patented NIR detector, data analysis and a user-friendly mobile app to identify plastics on the spot, for more accurate sorting; there are also targeted PET cleaners and defoamers for saving water, energy and process costs during the cleaning step. Marketed under the names Gardoclean, Gardobond Additives, Gardo Pure and Gardofloc, these additives meet all quality regulations and meet the requirements of the food industry.

BASF has also introduced the IrgaCycle range of additives designed to address specific quality issues associated with recycled resins such as limited processability, poor long-term thermal stability and insufficient protection against outdoor weathering due to repeated use and processing regeneration. Material breaks polymer chains. Impurities and polymer contaminants in recycled plastics can also accelerate polymer degradation, changing the properties of the material. Recyclers and plastic processors can benefit from the IrgaCycle range to address quality and performance issues when processing recycled polymer materials and increase the percentage of recycled content in end applications. The IrgaCycle range is part of the Valeras portfolio, under which BASF has marketed its range of sustainable plastic additive solutions since last year.