Addressing the urgent need for a circular carbon economy, pyrolysis is emerging as a pivotal technology for the chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste. Our primary aim is to efficiently transform plastic waste into valuable petrochemical building blocks, seamlessly reintegrating these resources into the value chains of a climate-neutral plastics industry. At the CCLab, we are dedicated to realizing this vision by advancing mixed plastic pyrolysis from fundamental research to practical industrial application.
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts plastic waste into a mixture of gases and oils by heating it to temperatures exceeding 400 °C in the absence of oxygen. This process effectively breaks down complex plastic polymers into chemical building blocks while simultaneously destroying or separating unwanted pollutants and impurities.
To achieve efficient and scalable pyrolysis, we utilize fluidized bed technology. This technology employs a fluidized bed reactor containing a granular material, such as sand, which is suspended and thoroughly mixed by an upward flow of gas. This fluidized bed is precisely heated and maintained between 450 and 600 °C. Plastic particles, at a rate of approximately 10 kg per hour, are then introduced into this hot, dynamic bed using a controlled dosing system. The intense heat transfer and continuous mixing within the fluidized bed ensure rapid and uniform pyrolysis of the plastic.
The resulting pyrolysis products, carried by the gas stream, are then transported to a condensation unit. Here, the mixture is cooled, and the valuable liquid pyrolysis oil is separated from the gaseous products. This liquid pyrolysis oil represents a versatile intermediate product, which can be further refined – for instance, through hydrogenation – into high-value petrochemical feedstocks to produce new plastics and other chemical applications.
Fluidized bed technology has been chosen to facilitate both the scale-up of this technology for industrial deployment and the comprehensive analysis and optimization of the pyrolysis process. It also enables the validation of digital process models, accelerating the implementation of pyrolysis as a cornerstone of a sustainable circular economy.
