SBO project studying chemical recycling of waste plastics by fast pyrolysis using a disruptive reactor technology, converting them into valuable chemicals, such as petrochemical feedstocks, waxes, lubricants and jet fuels (TRL 4)

Project website
2019 - 2023
2 636 000

Pieter Vandezande

+32 14 33 56 39
Contact

VITO’s role

  • Explore potential, demonstrate applicability and identify challenges of downstream separation and purification, considered a key enabling technology for chemical plastics recycling
  • Design tailored processes, primarily based on advanced membrane separation, for recovery of target compounds from plastic oil, prior to or after catalytic upgrading

Abstract

WATCH aims at the development and demonstration of a new disruptive technology for conversion of plastic waste to chemicals via catalytic fast pyrolysis based on an innovative reactor concept. The latter technology will be benchmarked against classic, state-of-the-art pyrolysis technology and a sustainability assessment will be performed. Four relevant plastic waste streams which can today not be easily recycled mechanically, will be studied, i.e. mixed polyolefins, multilayer packaging, polystyrene and polyurethane.

Besides kinetic modelling and reactor engineering, focus will be given to optimal feedstock selection to optimize individual yields of desired product(s).

Next to reactor technology, novel catalyst systems will be developed to catalytically convert pyrolysis oil fractions into valuable, well-defined chemicals and liquid energy carriers with lower or comparable production cost in order to (partially) replace their petrochemical counterparts.

Downstream of the pyrolysis process itself, focus will lie on the replacement of classical thermal processes such as distillation by more efficient processes, especially membrane filtration, for separation of valuable components. As such a significant cost-saving and reduction in CO2 emissions could be achieved.