Aduro Clean Technologies has shared sample test results from the application of its chemical recycling technology to crosslinked polymers.
The Canada-based chemical recycler has partnered with MBM Company, a building materials manufacturing enterprise, to increase the sustainability of plastic used in infrastructure, energy systems, municipal sewer, ventilation, and water treatment.
MBM supplied Aduro with a sample of crosslinked polyethyelene (XLPE). The material is an alternative to PVC and is predominantly used in building services pipework systems, heating and cooling systems, domestic water piping, insulation for high tension electrical cables, and baby play mats.
Crosslinked polymers like XLPE are polymers in which long polymer chains are crosslinked together to form a 3D matrix of interconnect polymer chains. Depending on the density of that crosslink, the polymers can have exceptional mechanical strength, as well as durability, and chemical resistance.
Those properties make them ideal for an array of applications, but also create recycling challenges. Unlike thermoplastics, crosslinked polymers do not melt under heat, making them difficult to recycle by traditional technologies. High-temperature chemical recycling processes like pyrolysis typically result in char and fuel gas, which are unsuitable for creating new plastics.
Aduro’s hydrochemolytic technology (HCT) is a water-based chemical conversion process which the company says works with lower operating temperatures and produces lower emissions, higher purity products, and higher yields of hydrocarbon products from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) plastic waste.
Applied to XLPE in preliminary tests, the technology showed yields up to 84% of lower-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, predominantly in the C8 to C28 range (petroleum hydrocarbons).
As a result, Aduro said in a statement it is now considering tyre rubber and elastomeric materials as additional potential feedstock to demonstrate the versatility of HMC in chemical recycling.
"This milestone confirms our preliminary assessment that we can provide customisable solutions tailored to industry specific requirements,” said Eric Appelman Chief Revenue Officer at Aduro. “We were able to transform XLPE waste into high-quality liquid hydrocarbons, with an impressive conversion yield, enhancing the material's lifecycle and providing a reliable feedstock for refineries. This development addresses a critical challenge in the industry and opens new avenues for sustainable material management,” he concluded.
Other sample tests of Aduro's technology show up to 95% of the carbon in PP feedstock is converted into potential hydrocarbon feedstock for the production of new plastics and/or other chemicals.