Plastic from Oil - Oil from Plastic

Where do we put these vast quantities when they are no longer needed? Despite advances in recycling, only about 27 percent of the plastic produced in Europe is recycled, while the rest is either used for energy recovery – meaning burned – or landfilled.

Recycling plastics can be challenging. While mechanical recycling is often an energy-efficient and cost-effective solution, there are materials that cannot be recycled this way due to their properties, complexity, or contamination. This is where chemical recycling comes into play as a complementary technology. It allows even heavily contaminated or difficult-to-recycle plastics to be returned to the production cycle.

Chemical recycling encompasses various processes to recover valuable raw materials from plastics. These include pyrolysis, depolymerization, and gasification. In these processes, plastic waste is broken down into liquids, smaller building blocks, or gases, which can then be processed into new plastics. A promising method is pyrolysis, where plastic waste is converted into a synthetic crude oil fraction, which can be used directly or further processed in existing production processes.

This method not only reduces waste but also contributes to CO2 reduction, as it replaces fossil raw materials. Additionally, plastic waste that would otherwise end up in incineration plants or landfills can now be recycled.

The company ARCUS is a pioneer in the recovery of raw materials through pyrolysis. It has developed a technology that makes it possible to close the plastic cycle and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of plastics. Valuable mixed plastic waste streams are not burned but converted into a naphtha-like pyrolysis oil through pyrolysis and used as a raw material in plastic production.

With flow improvers from the VISCOPLEX brand, Evonik aims to support the handling of ARCUS pyrolysis oils. Pyrolysis oils from plastic waste often contain waxy contaminants. These increase the viscosity of the oil depending on temperature and affect its pour point, the temperature at which the oil flow stops. This complicates the processing of pyrolysis oil in the process, storage, transport, and further processing of the product.

Evonik's developed flow improvers reduce the viscosity and pour point of the pyrolysis oil, optimizing its processability. The pyrolysis oil remains flowable, resulting in savings in temperature regulation and reduced maintenance needs for piping systems. This makes pyrolysis oil a genuine alternative to fossil naphtha, traditionally used in established production processes.