D. Y.

PATIL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING &

Case Study On

Advance Polymer Recycling –BASF’s

Chemcycling project

Submitted By
Names of Students Roll No.
1. Yashpal V. Sonare 21
2. Abhishek S. Bhosle 20
3. Yash R. Belekar 35

Guide HOD
Mr. Y. A. Donolikar Dr. K. T. Jadhav
 Introduction

Plastic waste is a global challenge, with millions of tons ending up in landfills or polluting the environment.
To address this issue, BASF has been actively involved in developing and implementing advanced polymer
recycling technologies. This case study will delve into BASF's initiatives in this field, focusing on their
ChemCycling® project and their efforts in mechanical recycling. We will explore the processes involved,
the environmental impact, and the positive and negative aspects of these approaches. By combining
chemical and advanced mechanical recycling, BASF is taking a comprehensive approach to the plastic waste
challenge. Their efforts demonstrate a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration, paving
the way for a future where plastic waste is minimized and valuable resources are conserved.

Advanced polymer recycling, also known as chemical recycling, is a cutting-edge technology that converts
post-use plastics into their original building blocks to produce new plastics, chemicals, and other valuable
products. This process can handle a wider variety of plastics, including those that are difficult to recycle
through traditional mechanical methods. Advanced recycling is rapidly evolving, with new companies and
facilities emerging to increase capacity and improve recycling rates. This technology complements
traditional recycling methods and plays a crucial role in addressing the global plastic waste challenge.
 Traditional Recycling Process

Traditional polymer recycling, also known as mechanical recycling, is the most common and widely used
method for recycling plastics. It involves physically processing plastic waste without significantly altering
its chemical structure. Here's a breakdown of the traditional polymer recycling process:

1. Collection and Sorting:

 Collection: Plastic waste is collected from various sources, including households, businesses, and
recycling centers.
 Sorting: The collected plastic waste is sorted based on the type of plastic (e.g., PET, HDPE, PP) and
other factors like color and size. This step is crucial as different types of plastics have different
properties and require different processing methods. Sorting can be done manually or using
automated systems.

2. Cleaning:

 The sorted plastic waste is cleaned to remove contaminants such as dirt, labels, food residue, and
other impurities. This step is essential to ensure the quality of the recycled plastic.

3. Shredding and Grinding:

 The cleaned plastic waste is shredded or ground into small pieces or flakes. This increases the
surface area of the plastic, making it easier to process in the subsequent steps.

4. Melting and Reprocessing:

 The shredded plastic is melted down and often mixed with virgin plastic or other additives to
improve its properties.
 The molten plastic is then processed into new products using various techniques such as extrusion,
injection molding, or blow molding.

5. Quality Control:

 The recycled plastic products undergo quality control checks to ensure they meet the required
standards for strength, durability, and other properties.
 Limitations of Traditional Polymer Recycling

 Limited to Certain Types of Plastics: Traditional recycling is most effective for certain types of
plastics, such as PET and HDPE. It is more challenging to recycle mixed plastics or plastics with
contaminants.
 Degradation of Quality: Each time plastic is recycled, its quality can degrade. This means that
recycled plastic may not always be suitable for high-quality applications.
 Not a Complete Solution: Traditional recycling alone cannot solve the plastic waste problem. It is
essential to reduce plastic consumption and develop alternative materials to create a more sustainable
future.

Despite these limitations, traditional polymer recycling plays a crucial role in reducing plastic waste
and conserving resources. It is an important part of a comprehensive approach to addressing the
plastic waste challenge

Before Uses:

Advanced polymer recycling, also known as chemical recycling, has evolved significantly over the years.
Initially, the focus was on mechanical recycling, which involves physically processing plastics to create new
products. However, mechanical recycling has limitations, such as the inability to recycle certain types of
plastics and the degradation of plastic quality over time.

Advanced recycling technologies emerged to address these limitations. These technologies break down
plastics into their molecular components, allowing for the recycling of a wider range of plastics and the
production of high-quality recycled materials. Some of the key technologies include:

Dissolution: Separates and recovers polymers without altering their chemical structure.

Chemical Recycling: Decomposes polymers into their building blocks (monomers) through methods such
as enzymolysis, solvolysis, and thermal depolymerization.

Pyrolysis: Breaks down plastics in the absence of oxygen to produce products like naphtha and oils.
 Chemical Recycling of Plastic Waste

ChemCycling is BASF's flagship chemical recycling project.

It aims to transform plastic waste, particularly mixed plastic waste that is difficult to recycle mechanically,
into valuable raw materials. 2 The process involves breaking down plastic waste into its chemical building
blocks through technologies like pyrolysis. 2 These building blocks can then be used to create new plastics
with virgin-like quality, closing the loop and reducing the reliance on fossil resources. 3

ChemCycling:

 Partnerships: BASF has collaborated with companies like Quantafuel, ARCUS, Pyrum, and New
Energy to secure a steady supply of pyrolysis oil, the key intermediate product in the ChemCycling®
process. This collaborative approach ensures a robust supply chain and facilitates the scaling up of
the technology.
 Product Examples: ChemCycling® has been successfully used to create a variety of products,
including mozzarella cheese packaging, transparent refrigerator components, insulation boxes,
pharma boxes, transport packaging, and food packaging. These examples demonstrate the versatility
of chemically recycled plastics and their potential to replace conventional plastics in various
applications.

Mechanical Recycling Solutions

In addition to chemical recycling, BASF is also working on improving mechanical recycling processes.
Their focus areas include enhancing sorting, cleaning, processing, and the quality of recyclates.

Mechanical Recycling:

 SpecReK Project: BASF has partnered with research institutions to optimize mechanical recycling.
The SpecReK project aims to develop innovative measuring technologies and AI to determine the
composition of waste plastics in real time, leading to improved quality of recycled plastics.
 Cleaning Solutions: BASF's Chemetall division offers cleaning agents specifically designed for
plastics recycling processes. These agents help to remove ink and separate layers of plastics,
ensuring the integrity of the recycling stream and improving the quality of recycled materials.
 Environmental Impact

 Positive Impacts:
o Reduced Plastic Waste: Both chemical and mechanical recycling contribute to reducing the
amount of plastic waste ending up in landfills and the environment.
o Resource Conservation: By utilizing plastic waste as a resource, these technologies help to
conserve fossil resources used in the production of virgin plastics.
o Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Chemical recycling, in particular, has the potential to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to incineration of plastic waste.
o Circular Economy: These recycling approaches contribute to the development of a circular
economy for plastics, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible.
 Negative Impacts:
o Energy Consumption: Both chemical and mechanical recycling processes require energy,
which can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions if the energy source is not renewable.
o Potential Emissions: Chemical recycling processes like pyrolysis can potentially release
harmful emissions if not properly controlled.
o Economic Viability: The economic viability of advanced recycling technologies is still a
challenge, and further development is needed to make them cost-competitive with traditional.
 Current Uses:
o Today, advanced polymer recycling is used to recycle a wide variety of plastics, including
those that are difficult to recycle through mechanical methods. Some of the current uses
include:
o Recycling Hard-to-Recycle Plastics: Advanced recycling can process plastics like films,
layered packaging, and mixed plastics that are typically landfilled.
o Creating High-Quality Recycled Materials: The recycled materials produced through
advanced recycling can be used in highly regulated applications such as food and medical-
grade packaging.
o Supporting a Circular Economy: Advanced recycling helps transition plastic
manufacturing from a linear model to a circular model, reducing the use of natural resources
and creating a more sustainable system.
o Waste-to-Energy: Some advanced recycling processes convert plastic waste into energy,
providing an alternative to fossil fuels.
 Advanced polymer recycling continues to evolve, offering innovative solutions to the challenges of
plastic waste management and contributing to a more sustainable future.
 Future Trends in Advance Polymer

1. Increased Automation and Digitalization:

 AI-powered Sorting: Advanced sorting facilities will utilize artificial intelligence and machine
learning to identify and separate different types of plastics with greater accuracy and speed. This will
improve the efficiency of both mechanical and chemical recycling processes.
 Digital Tracking: Blockchain technology and digital watermarks will be used to track plastics
throughout their lifecycle, from production to disposal and recycling. This will improve transparency
and accountability, ensuring that plastic waste is properly managed.
 Robotics: Robots will play an increasing role in automating various stages of the recycling process,
such as sorting, dismantling, and processing. This will increase efficiency and reduce costs.

2. Focus on Chemical Recycling:

 Expanding Capabilities: Chemical recycling technologies will continue to advance, enabling the
recycling of a wider range of plastics, including mixed plastics, contaminated materials, and even
complex composites.
 Improved Efficiency: Research will focus on optimizing chemical recycling processes to increase
yields, reduce energy consumption, and minimize emissions.
 Integration with Petrochemical Industry: Chemical recycling will become more integrated with
the petrochemical industry, with recycled plastics being used as feedstock for the production of new
plastics and chemicals.

3. Advancements in Mechanical Recycling:

 Enhanced Quality: Technologies will be developed to further improve the quality of mechanically
recycled plastics, making them suitable for a wider range of applications.
 Specialized Recycling Streams: More specialized recycling streams will be developed for different
types of plastics, allowing for more efficient processing and higher quality recyclates.
 Upcycling: Mechanical recycling will increasingly focus on upcycling, which involves transforming
plastic waste into higher-value products with improved properties.

4. Growing Importance of Biological Recycling:

 Enzyme Engineering: Advances in enzyme engineering will lead to the development of more
efficient and stable enzymes for the depolymerization of plastics.
 Microbial Consortia: Researchers will explore the use of microbial consortia, communities of
microorganisms that work together to break down plastics.
 Current Research

1. Enhancing Chemical Recycling Technologies:

 Improving Efficiency: Researchers are working on optimizing chemical recycling processes like
pyrolysis, depolymerization, and solvolysis to increase yields, reduce energy consumption, and
minimize emissions. This involves exploring new catalysts, reactor designs, and process conditions.
 Expanding Feedstock Scope: A major focus is on expanding the range of plastics that can be
effectively recycled through chemical methods. This includes developing technologies to handle
mixed plastic waste, contaminated plastics, and even complex materials like composites.
 Developing New Chemical Recycling Pathways: Scientists are investigating novel chemical
reactions and processes to break down polymers into their building blocks and create new materials.
This includes exploring techniques like mechanochemistry and electrochemical recycling.

2. Advancing Mechanical Recycling:

 Improving Sorting and Separation: Advanced technologies like AI-powered vision systems and
spectroscopic techniques are being developed to automate and improve the accuracy of plastic
sorting. This is crucial for increasing the efficiency of mechanical recycling and reducing
contamination.
 Enhancing Quality of Recyclates: Research is focused on developing methods to improve the
quality of mechanically recycled plastics. This includes techniques to remove contaminants, improve
mechanical properties, and reduce odor.
 Developing Compatibilizers and Additives: Scientists are working on developing compatibilizers
and additives that can be added to recycled plastics to improve their properties and make them
suitable for a wider range of applications.

3. Exploring Biological Recycling:

 Enzyme-Based Depolymerization: Researchers are investigating the use of enzymes to break down
plastics into their monomers. This approach offers the potential for mild reaction conditions and high
selectivity, but challenges remain in terms of enzyme stability and cost-effectiveness.
 Microbial Degradation: Scientists are studying microorganisms that can naturally degrade plastics.
This research aims to identify and engineer microbes that can efficiently break down common
plastics, potentially leading to biorecycling solutions.
4. Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Analysis:

 Evaluating Environmental Impact: Researchers are conducting life cycle assessments to evaluate
the environmental impact of different advanced recycling technologies. This includes analyzing
energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental factors.
 Assessing Economic Viability: Techno-economic analysis is being used to assess the economic
viability of advanced recycling technologies. This includes evaluating capital costs, operating costs,
and market potential.

5. Focus on Specific Polymers and Applications:

 PET Recycling: Significant research is focused on improving the recycling of PET, a widely used
plastic in bottles and packaging. This includes developing chemical depolymerization technologies
and enzymatic recycling methods.
 Polyolefin Recycling: Polyolefins like polyethylene and polypropylene are another major target for
advanced recycling research. Scientists are working on improving mechanical recycling processes
and developing chemical recycling pathways for these polymers.
 Recycling of Complex Materials: Research is also being conducted on recycling complex materials
like composites and multilayer plastics, which are challenging to recycle with traditional methods.
 Conclusion

BASF is at the forefront of developing and implementing advanced polymer recycling technologies. Their
ChemCycling project and their efforts in mechanical recycling demonstrate their commitment to tackling the
plastic waste challenge. While there are still challenges to overcome, these technologies offer promising
solutions for creating a circular economy for plastics and reducing the environmental impact of plastic
waste. By continuing to innovate and collaborate, BASF is playing a crucial role in building a sustainable
future for plastics.

The advanced polymer recycling project has demonstrated significant potential in addressing the challenges
of plastic waste management. By utilizing innovative technologies such as chemical recycling, pyrolysis,
and dissolution, the project has successfully processed a wide range of plastics, including those that are
difficult to recycle through traditional mechanical methods.

Key outcomes of the project include:

 Enhanced Recycling Capabilities: The project has expanded the range of plastics that can be
recycled, reducing the amount of plastic waste sent to landfills.
 High-Quality Recycled Materials: The advanced recycling processes have produced high-quality
recycled materials suitable for use in various applications, including food and medical-grade
packaging.
 Support for Circular Economy: The project has contributed to the transition from a linear to a
circular economy by creating a sustainable system for plastic manufacturing and waste management.
 Energy Recovery: Some advanced recycling processes have converted plastic waste into energy,
providing an alternative to fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
 Reference

 www.basf.com
 www.plasticsengineering.org
 plasticmakers.org
 corporate.exxonmobil.com
 https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/10/1/1
 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-022-04079-x?form=MG0AV3#citeas