German materials firm Covestro says it plans to build a pilot plant for recycling of elastomers. The investment in the double-digit million euro range is used to fund the development and construction project of the pilot plant at Covestro’s site in Leverkusen, Germany. The construction is estimated to take about one year until technical completion.
This technological development to recycle Vulkollan marks an important step towards more sustainability in the elastomers industry. The technology enables to not only recycle a mass fraction of more than 90% of the end-of-life material like forklift tyres, but also to reduce the carbon footprint by up to two thirds compared to virgin material, it adds.
Covestro customers use Vulkollan systems to mould parts for many applications such as wheels for forklifts, bumper elements in railways and vibration control elements and jounce bumpers in cars.
The quality of Vulkollan allows more sustainable and cost-efficient operation of the target application through longer lifetime, longer maintenance intervals and less unplanned shutdowns, it adds.
Due to the high yield of the recycling process, end-of-life Vulkollan materials can be re-introduced into new automotive jounce bumpers and forklift tyres via a mass balancing approach.
The new chemical recycling process is a game-changer for the elastomers industry. Unlike mechanical recycling methods, this approach breaks down elastomeric end-of-life material into its chemical building blocks, to obtain purified monomers that can be re-used for these materials with known and proven quality, it says.
“The new chemical recycling process addresses the unique challenges of elastomer materials, which are trusted to be very resistant and long lasting. Downcycling is not an option for this high-performance application,” explains Markus Dugal, Head of Process Technology at Covestro. “This technology allows us to recycle a high mass fraction of the end-of-life material and, in this way, to reduce the environmental impact of our elastomer production. It is a testament to Covestro’s innovative spirit.”
The pilot plant will play a crucial role in refining the recycling process beyond lab scale, testing the process with various waste streams and with various end-of-life materials. It will also serve as a platform for Covestro to engage with potential project partners and customers, paving the way for the development of a larger commercial recycling plant in the future.