Research addresses dissolution recycling technology

INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, announced today it will be contributing to the research project “Remove2Reclaim – Recycling of plastics and titanium dioxide via advanced dissolution and separation techniques for plastic additive removal”1. Working together with leading European research institutes in the project will allow the company to build up expertise related to recycling via dissolution.

19:20:55 | 2020-10-21

Styrenics are amongst the most recyclable polymers. INEOS Styrolution has a proven record of
investing into basic research on advanced recycling technologies2. This includes completing the
first lab-scale production of virgin polystyrene from depolymerised material3 and driving the
commercialisation of enhanced recycling of polystyrene forward4. Developing expertise on
recycling via dissolution contributes to an in-depth understanding of the material’s properties.

The “Remove2Reclaim” project aims at developing innovative solvent-based extraction routes to
remove additives, such as titanium dioxide, from different polymer matrices and to reuse both
titanium dioxide and polymer in new products. Targeted polymers in the project include
polystyrene, HIPS (high impact polystyrene) and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). For
INEOS Styrolution, this dissolution route complements the existing mechanical and
depolymerisation recycling projects, rounding up the understanding of the broad range of
recycling technologies available for styrenics.
Michiel Verswyvel, Global R&D at INEOS Styrolution, comments: “We are committed to a
circular economy for styrenics. Our main thrust is mechanical recycling of materials such as
ABS and polystyrene and advanced recycling technologies, primarily depolymerisation of
polystyrene. The “Remove2Reclaim” project gives us the opportunity to get a complete picture
by exploring additional recycling technologies such as dissolution. In parallel, we are optimising
our mechanical recycling efforts5 and concentrate on commercialising recycled polystyrene via
depolymerisation.”
The “Remove2Reclaim” project is funded by the Flemish Agency of Innovation and
Entrepreneurship (Vlaams Agentschap voor Innovatie en Ondernemen – VLAIO) and organised
under the umbrella of the Flemish spearhead cluster Catalisti. Research partners include Ghent
University, KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) as well as VITO (Flemish Institute for
Technological Research in Mol) and Centexbel (Kortrijk-Gent). INEOS Styrolution becomes one
of five industry partners signed up in this project.