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Chemical recycling

Chemical recycling

At our sites in Germany, we use our own facilities to produce product oils with the quality of a tradable . Our oils are sold to Hamburg and Cuxhaven, among others, and are returned to the plastic cycle.

Business segments
in the circular economy

Oil refinement

Chemical recycling

Plant engineering

AdBlue®

Research laboratory

Tyre pyrolysis

Process at a glance

Chemical recycling is based on the thermal decomposition (depolymerisation) of plastics in the absence of oxygen. This process is known as thermolysis or pyrolysis. In order for plastic waste to become packaging material again, a must be created, for which the following steps must be carried out in sequence:

1.

Raw material composition

The composition of the raw material affects the entire process. The enespa pyrolysis plants are designed for the processing of such as HDPE, LLDPE, PP, PE. Foreign plastics such as PVC, PA or PET must be removed because they lead to increased chlorine-, nitrogen- or oxygen-saturated compounds. Such products are more difficult to market in further process steps.

2.

Pre-treatment

The starting material is granulated to a specific particle size. A centrifugal system then reduces the moisture content and separates out foreign particles. The processed material is fed into a buffer box, which enables the material to be fed continuously into the so-called plasticiser. The material is heated in the plasticiser and then compacted in the extruder.

3.

Pyrolysis

The pyrolysis reactor is a closed system in which the plastic is broken down into gaseous short-chain hydrocarbons. At the outlet of the reactor, the gaseous pyrolysis products and the solid residues are separated from each other. The gaseous pyrolysis gas passes through two condensation columns in which the pyrolysis oil is recovered. The solid residues are automatically removed via a conveyor system.

4.

Oil refinement

Our pyrolysis oils are so-called , which we can further process to create a at our site in Hoyerswerda with our systems developed in-house. The sales revenue depends on the and is based on the .

Advantages and disadvantages

Mechanical and chemical recycling offer the opportunity to minimise the generation of CO₂ and microplastics, because plastics are no longer incinerated or sent to landfill. Recycling also limits the extraction of the fossil raw materials natural gas and, of course, crude oil, as a cycle is created.

Mechanical recycling

A large proportion of the plastic in our rubbish consists of packaging. Some of it can be collected, melted and reused by type. The cycles for LDPE industrial waste and returnable PET bottles have become established.

Because the chemical compounds in plastics are not broken down during mechanical recycling, this type of recycling has its limits. The reason: packaging usually contains that make mechanical recycling difficult or impossible. Just a few colour pigments, for example, lead to an undesirable grey colour.

Mechanical recycling is also not possible for multi-layer films, such as those used for sausage and cheese packaging, because the different plastic layers cannot be separated from each other. In addition, the molecular chains shorten with each recycling cycle, which means that the plastic cannot be mechanically recycled an unlimited number of times.

Chemical recycling

With chemical recycling, plastic waste containing polyolefins can be recycled into which are used in the petrochemical industry to manufacture plastic products with a wide range of applications. This closes the circular economy for products (e.g. old tyres) that would otherwise not be reused and would end up as waste products.

Not all types of plastic can yet be recycled in an economically viable way using this process. Development is not yet complete. Chemical recycling needs to be developed and established. We at enespa are among the pioneers in this field.

For a long time, chemical recycling was considered inefficient and uneconomical. This is no longer the case with one of enespa's modern plants.

Chemical recycling is the only way to close the plastic cycle. The recycled plastics are in no way inferior to virgin material and can be used in all areas.

Chemical recycling

Storage in the buffer box

Production of granulate

Sorting and shredding in the grinder

Plastic waste

Product manufacture and use

Oil recovery

Pyrolysis/thermolysis & condensation

Heating in the extruder

The chemical recycling process steps (highlighted in white) close the plastic cycle.

Our guarantee

You receive a quality guarantee for our products. Consistent quality is ensured by the analyses carried out in our own laboratory at our Tangstedt site. At the same time, regular checks are carried out by an independent laboratory to confirm conformity with the acceptance specifications. To date, we have not had a single complaint.

Play Video about Cover picture: Albert Paparo

Dr Albert Paparo and his team at the German site in Tangstedt ensure the consistent quality of the pyrolysis oils and conduct research into process optimisation.

Play Video about Cover picture: Albert Paparo

Dr Albert Paparo and his team at the German site in Tangstedt ensure the consistent quality of the pyrolysis oils and conduct research into process optimisation.

Contact

My team can support you from raw material analysis to approval planning and on to the entire project realisation. I can answer your questions about the chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste, oil refining and tyre pyrolysis. You are also in the right place if you have any questions about research and development and oil analyses.

Ben Richters

Chief Technology Officer

Ben Richters

Chief Technology Officer

enespa grt innovation gmbh Tangstedt
Bäckerbarg 4-7
DE-22889 Tangstedt
Germany

enespa's vision

Clean beaches, rivers and streams. Free from plastic waste. No animals dying because we humans simply dump our rubbish in the environment. That is our vision. enespa is helping to remove waste from nature. Together with many like-minded campaigners, this vision will become reality.

Management Group

enespa Group
Schäfligasse 1
CH-9050 Appenzell

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