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