MOSCOW (MRC) - SIBUR has developed and patented an additive to extend the life cycle of polymers, the company said in a statement.
RF Patent No. 2717664 "Concentrate Composition and Method for Increasing the Viscosity of a Polymer" was obtained by SIBUR last year. The invention relates to the use of bottle plastic - PET, one of the most popular types of polymers in processing.
"The development took about a year. We needed to find a solution that would allow us to obtain a product of better quality. We did it. And this is the result of the teamwork of our R&D center," commented Irina Ryzhikova, a leading researcher at NIOST.
The additive developed at NIOST allows maintaining the basic physical and mechanical properties of this material at the primary level even after its mechanical processing. "This increases the number of possible PET recycling cycles and removes restrictions on the options for its recycling, which could arise due to a decrease in the quality of the material after mechanical processing," said Vladimir Bushkov, General Director of NIOST.
Commitment to the principles of a circular economy and the development of polymer recycling are among the key focuses of SIBUR's Sustainable Development Strategy. Plastic has a high recyclability and can be reused in a production cycle up to 10 times or more. The use of recycled polymers in production reduces the impact on the environment: it reduces the carbon footprint of the final product and helps to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
The company’s statement notes that according to the results of the International Conference on Intellectual Property, the additive developed at SIBUR, which allows to extend the life cycle of polymers, was included in the list of ten main Russian inventions of the 21st century.
Earlier it was reported that the Polyef is planning to produce PET granules with the addition of secondary raw materials in 2022 in Bashkiria. The company's demand for secondary raw materials is estimated at 34 thousand tons annually, contracts have already been signed for the supply of more than 50% of this volume. At the same time, the Russian Environmental Operator (REO) plans to implement an investment project for the production of PET flakes from used food packaging for further supply to SIBUR. The supply of recyclable materials is expected to begin in 2024.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PET consumption totalled 411,200 tonnes in the first six month of 2021, up by 12% year on year. Russian companies processed 62,910 tonnes in June, compared to 85,890 tonnes a month earlier.
SIBUR is a vertically integrated gas processing and petrochemical company operating at 26 production sites located in various regions of the Russian Federation. SIBUR sells products to over 1,400 consumers in the fuel and energy complex, automotive, construction, FMCG, chemical and other industries in 75 countries around the world.