Green tie-ups: Technip Energies/APChemi to work on green technology; Borealis/Trexel develop recyclable lightweight bottle

Technology firm Technip Energies and Indian pyrolysis tech firm APChemi Private have entered into a cooperation agreement to commercialise APChemi's plastic waste to pyrolysis oil technology, in conjunction with Technip Energies' pyrolysis oil upgradation and steam cracking technology.

APChemi's patented “Pyromax pyrolysis technology for recycling plastic waste closes the gap in the plastic supply chain by taking dirty and mixed plastic waste, including municipal solid waste segregated plastics and multilayer packaging, and breaking it down to produce high quality pyrolysis oil which can be chemically recycled into circular plastics. The process is said to have a lower carbon footprint, as it displaces the need for crude-oil-based feedstocks for plastics manufacturing, while reducing the need for intensive plastic waste sorting.

Technip Energies is closing the circular loop from pyrolysis oil to polyolefins building blocks by bringing its ethylene furnace and steam cracker design expertise, along with the preparation and purification technologies. The Pure.rOil by T.EN purification technology ensures safe, reliable and optimised integration with crackers.

Suhas Dixit, CEO of APChemi said: “We offer our full support to Technip Energies for extending this plastic waste to polyolefins solution. This strategic collaboration will help us extend our leadership in pyrolysis technology beyond India. APChemi also intends to utilise this collaboration for building world-class pyrolysis oil manufacturing facilities in India and abroad.”

Meanwhile in other news, Austrian materials firm Borealis and Trexel, a supplier of foaming injection and blow moulded parts, have co-developed a new plastic bottle based on a grade from the Bornewables portfolio of polyolefins made using renewable feedstocks derived 100% from waste and residue streams. The lightweight bottle – which will be showcased at the Borealis stand at the K2022 in October (Hall 6, Stand A43) – is reusable and fully recyclable. It boasts a significantly lower overall CO2 footprint because it is composed of renewably-sourced feedstock and produced in the foaming process.

The Bornewables portfolio of circular polyolefins is said to help reduce the carbon footprint while offering material performance equal to virgin polymers. Using Bornewables grades allows for design freedom and colour flexibility, and helps retain a premium look and feel. The grades – which are commercially available in Europe – help conserve natural resources because they are derived solely from waste and residue streams, for example from used cooking oil. Reusing waste already in circulation instead of fossil fuel-based feedstocks enhances the sustainability of applications made using the Bornewables grades.

The reusable new bottle developed by Borealis and Trexel retains its value over many life cycles thanks to the use of Trexel’s proprietary technology in tandem with Bornewables grades; as a material solution, the new bottle minimises the use of valuable raw materials.

Moreover, converters consume less energy in the production process when using Trexel’s foam moulding MuCell technology. The bottle thus helps close the loop on plastics circularity by way of design for recycling, the use of renewable feedstocks, and excellent material performance across multiple life cycles.

“Reuse and recycling are core components of the integrated circular cascade model aligned with our EverMinds platform, which unites committed players across the entire value chain in accelerating the move to plastics circularity,” says Peter Voortmans, Borealis Global Commercial Director Consumer Products. “This project is an excellent example of how we are working with industry partners to solve the problem of plastic waste while delivering real value to our customers. Combining our polymers and recycling expertise with Trexel’s material processing know-how enables us to re-invent essentials for sustainable living.”

Trexel’s proprietary MuCell physical (as opposed to chemical) foaming process is said to enable greater density reductions, improved mechanical properties, and attractive surface aesthetics.

The larger processing window facilitates its application to a wider range of products. MuCell foamed parts are recyclable and can thus be reintroduced into the polymer stream. The lightweighting benefits of foaming have become particularly compelling as the industry seeks to use less energy in production, minimise the use of materials, and also fulfil growing market demand for more sustainable packaging solutions.

“Having anticipated market demand for more sustainable plastic packaging, we have focused our development resources over the last several years on the circular sphere,” explains David Bernstein, Trexel Chairman of the Board and Interim CEO. “Our foaming solutions for blow moulding and thin-wall packaging enable brand owners and moulders to realise improved sustainability and enhanced product performance while delivering cost savings.”

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