Jun-2022

A circular solution to plastic waste (TIA)

Sulzer Chemtech has finalised an agreement with Encina Development Group, LLC. Sulzer will provide technology to recover high purity circular aromatics from cracked oil products derived from Encina’s mixed-plastics-to-aromatics catalytic conversion platform. Encina’s 1000 tpd waste plastics recycling facility will be located in Northeast US and is expected to be operational in 2024.

Sulzer Chemtech

Article Summary

Encina has developed a catalytic platform wherein the cracked products selectively contain high levels of circular aromatics and other valuable byproducts. Sulzer Chemtech will provide hydrotreating and aromatics extraction technology (SuRe BTX) to recover high purity circular benzene and toluene.

Sulzer’s flagship aromatic extraction technology (GT-BTX) has been deployed worldwide for aromatics recovery from reformate and naphtha cracked pyrolysis, with more than 70 licences sold. This is the first commercial application of this technology where waste plastics are used as feedstock within a circular chemical solution to help resolve a global environmental issue.

Carlo Badiola, Senior VP of Engineering and Technology at Encina, comments: “We selected Sulzer Chemtech and its SuRe BTX technology due to the company’s leading expertise in aromatic extraction. Sulzer Chemtech’s technology will allow us to produce high-quality circular aromatics from catalytically converted oil products derived from plastic waste. This collaboration will drive up sustainable practices in industry.”

Sander van Donk, Head Global Technology Business at Sulzer Chemtech, concludes: “We are pleased to support Encina’s mission of enabling circularity in plastics recycling by providing our SuRe BTX technology downstream of its catalytic conversion process. This novel value chain builds on Sulzer Chemtech’s commitment to circularity and opens up an entirely new market for ultra-pure circular benzene and toluene produced from waste plastics.”

This short case study originally appeared in PTQ's Technology In Action Feature - Q2 2022 Issue.

For more information: dorota.zoldosova@sulzer.com