Tyre major Michelin will work together with Canadian Pyrowave Inc. to develop a new plastics waste recycling technology that will purportedly yield commercially reusable styrene from everyday packaging or household appliances. The recycled styrene can be fed as raw material monomer for the production of plastics (polystyrene) as well as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) for tyres and other consumer products.
The joint development agreement will combine Pyrowave’s expertise with Michelin’s industrial know-how, the companies said. They have budgeted about US$22 million to develop an industrial demonstrator, and expect a commercial roll-out in international markets by 2023.
The companies added that redesigning new packaging or manufacturing new products from recycled plastics in the automotive, electronics or tyre sectors will become possible – creating new value chains in the circular plastics economy.
Pyrowave, touted as apioneer in the electrification of chemical processes and plastics recycling, has developed a catalytic microwave-based technology that enables the recycling of plastic waste into high-quality raw materials. It is claimed to provide the highest decarbonation potentialof these materials while being more accurate than conventional technologies to replace virgin raw materials from oil and gas.
“This partnership is an ultimate illustration of the group’s sustainable strategy,” said Sonia Artinian-Fredou, Michelin’s Executive VP of services and solutions for high tech materials.”The purpose is to manufacture tyres made of increasingly sustainable materials and to make these technologies available to innovative recycling channels. We believe in the potential of Pyrowave technology and share their vision for a more sustainable future through innovation.”
Jocelyn Doucet, Pyrowave Co-founder and CEO, also hopes to develop “a breakthrough technology with a view to transforming future materials in a sustainable way,” through this partnership with Michelin.