MOSCOW (MRC) -- Renewable aromatics technology firm Anellotech (Pearl River, NY) has announced R Plus Japan Ltd., a new joint venture company, will invest an undisclosed sum in the development of Anellotech’s Plas-TCat technology for recycling used plastics, said Chemweek.
Unlike the existing, multi-step processes that first liquefy plastic waste back into low value “synthetic oil” intermediate products, Anellotech’s Plas-TCat chemical recycling technology uses a one-step thermal-catalytic process to convert single-use plastics directly into basic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylenes (BTX), ethylene, and propylene, which can then be used to make new plastics. The technology’s process efficiency has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and energy con-sumption.
R Plus Japan was established by 12 cross-industry partners within the Japanese plastics supply chain. Member partners include Suntory MONOZUKURI Expert Ltd. (SME, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Ltd.), TOYOBO Co. Ltd., Rengo Co. Ltd., Toyo Seikan Group Holdings Ltd., J&T Recycling Corporation, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd., Toppan Printing Co. Ltd., Fuji Seal International Inc., Hokkaican Co. Ltd., and Yoshino Kogyosho Co. Ltd..
Suntory began collaborating with Anellotech in 2012, to develop the Bio-TCat process for making aromatics, including para-xylene, from non-food biomass (pine wood), required to make 100% plant-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Anellotech is leveraging and adapting its process technology for Plas-TCat, which will convert mixed plastic waste feedstocks, including composite films and other difficult-to-recycle materials, at industrial scale into the same basic chemicals (aromatics and olefins) already used to make most virgin plastics, including PET.
According to the ICIS-MRC Price Report , spot prices of Russian plants in early June approached contract prices and fell to the range of Rb72,000-74,000/tonne, CPT Moscow, including VAT. The plants Polyef, Ecopat and Senezh in early June have free material on the spot. The production of TPA at the plant in Blagoveshchensk finally returned to normal after a long period of unstable operation, according to information from market participants.
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