mechanical recycling: reviving used plastics with smart additives · 2020. 12. 9. · pp/pe...

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Mechanical recycling: Reviving used plastics with smart additivesDr. Alice GlättliVice President Strategy & InnovationPerformance Chemicals

BASF Research Press ConferenceDecember 10, 2020

BASF Research Press Conference 2020

Today’s recycling landscape for plastic wasteFate of 30 million metric tons of plastic waste generated in EU28+2 in 2018

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Landfill

Energy recovery

Mechanical recycling

Chemical recycling

Only one third of all plastic waste is kept in the materials cycle in EU28+2.

20%

20%

30%

30%

31.1%

0.1%

41.0%

24.5%

3.0% Globally: 250 million metric tonsUnmanaged / Leaks

< 0.1%

Sources: Conversio, “Circular Economy of Plastics 2018 EU28+2”, September 2019 // Conversio, “Global Plastics Flow 2018”, February 2020

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The plastics value chain

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Incineration

Landfill

Refinery

Naphtha

Steam cracker Chemical production

Manufacturedgoods

Plastic waste

Basicchemicals

Semi-finishedgoods

Plasticgoods Recovery

Disposal

Monomers,additives, ...

Plastics production



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When plastics are processed and used, they are exposed to stress. Stress damages the polymer chains.

Light, shear, dirtMelt processing,catalyst residues

Incineration

Landfill

Refinery

Naphtha


Manufacturedgoods

Plastic waste

Basicchemicals

Semi-finishedgoods


Disposal


Plastics production

3



5

Reprocessing damaged polymers downgrades the plastic materials.Innovative chemistry can compensate for these effects and upgrade the quality.

Mechanical recycling= Mixing of grades

Incineration

Landfill

Refinery

Naphtha


Manufacturedgoods

Plastic waste

Basicchemicals

Semi-finishedgoods


Disposal


Plastics production

+


Protecting polymers is our business

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BASF’s global footprint for plastic additivesProduction sites

BASF’s plastic additives portfolioNumber of products

BASF is the global market leader in the plastics additive industry with a unique global footprint and an unmatched product portfolio.

>100

>100

>10

>30Others

Flame retardants

Light stabilizers

Thermal stabilizers& antioxidants

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Upgrading polymers for mechanical recycling

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The quality challenge The purity challenge

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1 2

Polymer stability degrades when used multiple times.

Stabilizers are needed to protect the polymers.

Analytics, dosing and formulation know-how is a key enabler.

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How stabilizers can tackle the quality challenge:auto-oxidation and degradation chemistry

Phenolic antioxidants and hindered aminesreact with free radicals to yield inactive products

Phosphitesreact with hydroperoxides to yield inactive products

Phenolic antioxidants react with oxygen-centered radicals

Radical scavengerscapture carbon-centered radicalsPolymer

R•

O2

ROOH

ROO•RO• HO•

PolymerR•

Light, shear,melt processing,catalyst residues

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Innovative stabilizers enable polymer recycling

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Example 1: recycled HDPE bottles – embrittlement

131

18

116

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Days to embrittlement

100% virgin HDPEstabilized

HDPE/PP 95/5not restabilized

HDPE/PP 95/5restabilized

Note: “HDPE”: high density Polyethylene; “PP”: PolypropyleneSource: BASF internal analysis at Plastic Additives Lab in Kaisten

Antioxidants preventing polymer degradation

OP

3

+ ROOH

OP

3

O

+ ROH

OH

+ ROO •

O •

+ ROOH

R R

Primary AO’s: React with Oxygen centered radicals

Secondary AO’s: Reduce hydroperoxides before they decompose

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Innovative stabilizers enable polymer recycling

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Example 2: recycled PET bottles – color shift

Discoloration [yellowing index]

Fresh bottle flakes …withoutrestabilization

…withrestabilization

Source: BASF internal analysis at Plastic Additives Lab in Kaisten

3.4

6.3

3.7

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Yellowing of recycled PET bottles is inhibited by adequate additization during recycling

without restabilization

withrestabilization



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1 2

Separating mixed polymers is nearly impossible.

Polymer mixtures show inferior performance profiles for reuse.

New additives are needed that maintain the performance of the plastics despite impurities / mixing.

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Innovative compatibilizers can tackle the purity challenge

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PET:PP blend (85:15) without compatibilizer[1] PET:PP blend (85:15) with compatibilizer[1]

Note: “PP” Polypropylene, “PET”: Polyethyleneterephthalate [1] K. Ragaert et al, Waste Manag. 2017, 35.

PET and PP phases separate because they are chemically very different.Defects at polymer interfaces cause ruptures.Additives compatibilize different polymer phases, leading to homogeneous dispersion and fewer defects.


How innovative compatibilizers can tackle the purity challenge

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Innovative Block Copolymers can connect different polymer phases.This avoids defects and ruptures in recycled plastics.

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PET bottles

Improved stability despite PP/PE impurities

Increased recycling yield of PET

Compatibilizers: application examples

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Compatibilizers enable higher recycling rates and improve economics of mechanical recycling

Multilayer food packaging

Recycling of multilayers made of different resins

Reduce incineration rate of plastic waste streams

10% of total plastics production37 million metric tons p.a.[2]

5% of total plastics production18 million metric tons p.a.[1]

[1] IHS Markit, Polyethylene Terephtalate Solid State Resins, 2020 [2] BASF internal analysis


Mechanical recycling is a fast-growing market enabled by innovative additives

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BASF is expanding its broad plastic additive portfolio by offerings specific for the mechanical recycling of major plastic types.

Stabilizers

Compatibilizers

Other Additives

Sources: Mc Kinsey, No time to waste: What plastics recycling could offer, September 2018 // Conversio, “Global Plastics Flow 2018”, Feb 2020.

50

30

97

2018 2018 2030Collected for recycling

Mechanically recycled plastics

Mechanically recycled plastics globally million metric tons

+10% p.a.Process

losses and residues

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Reviving used plastics with smart additives Next steps

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We aim to become the leading additive solution provider for plastics circularity.

2022 & beyond

2021

2020

The quality challenge

Additives to enable more cycles

Launch specific additive blends to stabilize recyclates

Leverage internal innovation power to launch specific new solutions

Additives to tolerate more impurities

Conceptual development phase

Focused internal development and scouting for external collaboration partners

The purity challenge

Leading product portfolio for mechanical recycling

mechanical recycling: reviving used plastics with smart additives · 2020. 12. 9. · pp/pe...

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