Anellotech launches Plas-TCat™ technology to transform plastic waste directly into chemicals

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Type of post: NEWS.

Anellotech is expanding its development program with Plas-TCatTM, a new process technology aiming to convert a wide range of plastic waste directly into chemicals, which can then be used to make new plastics.
Press release: “New Anellotech Technology Tackles Plastics Pollution by Recycling Plastic Waste Into Chemicals”, 6/12/2019.
Related post: “Anellotech is planning the construction of its first commercial plant for the production of bio-aromatics”, 17/5/2019.

Figure 1. The role of Plas-TCat within the Anellotec’s vision

By leveraging Anellotech’s existing Bio-TCatTM process (which converts biomass into bio-based chemicals and biofuels), Plas-TCat has demonstrated encouraging results in lab studies using pure plastics. Plas-TCat has the potential to offer a new, cost-effective process which will recycle significant quantities of waste plastics directly into commodity chemicals. Once in the recycling system, waste plastics could be converted into commodity chemicals such as olefins, alkanes and aromatic chemicals, which are identical to their petro-based counterparts which are currently used by manufacturers to make plastics.

Anellotech aims to use its Bio-TCat lab and TCat-8® pilot systems to feed in plastics waste, eventually developing and designing a commercial plant to efficiently make commodity chemicals at large scale, using the same basic process configuration. The company has planned studies to ensure that the Plas-TCat process is robust and capable of running long term, on a range of real-world waste plastics feedstocks, with all the impurities that come with them. Its TCat-8 pilot plant extensively ran 24/7 with biomass and the company expects it to do the same with plastics.

David Sudolsky (President and CEO of Anellotech) said: “With potentially high yields of valuable products, we are keen to use Plas-TCat in areas where plastic waste collection is not enforced and collection infrastructure to isolate waste plastics streams is currently lacking. By allowing payment for waste plastic, Plas-TCat provides economic incentives to tackle plastics pollution, especially in developing countries where much of the ocean plastic pollution originates. We are excited about this new venture and are seeking engagement with knowledgeable strategic partners to provide development funding, as well as knowledge in waste plastics supply chain and mechanical handling, to help accelerate this project.”

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