Canada-based Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. and GF Building Flow Solutions Americas, a supplier of sustainable building solutions and global provider of Uponor-branded products, have entered into a memorandum of understanding designed to open the way for what is intended to become a more formal collaboration between the companies.
Toether, the companies aim to work on advancing GF’s ongoing efforts to convert Uponor crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) production waste into valuable raw materials.
GF Building Flow Solutions Americas is one of the leading international producers of pipes used to move water for buildings and infrastructure, including pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX). PEX pipes are commonly used in energy efficient heating and safe plumbing due to their robustness, temperature resistance and longevity.
Aduro has developed simple, scaleable chemical conversion technology that transforms plastic waste into feedstocks for use in the production of new plastics or transportation fuels. Called the Hydrochemolytic Plastics Upcycling (HPU) process, it uses water as the critical agent and operates at relatively low temperatures and cost. The process can convert difficult-to-recycle plastics into saturated hydrocarbons in the low molecular weight range that are suitable for use as feedstock in naphtha crackers and refineries without the need for expensive post-processing. According to the company, the process is less energy-intensive and produces lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional thermolytic processes.
GF has been focussed on developing a sustainable and cost-effective end-of-life solution for its cross-linked polyethylene production waste for some time. The company previously participated in the Aduro Customer Engagement Program (CEP) to conduct a phase 1 technical evaluation to assess the potential of HCT for recycling cross-linked polymers. Initial results from this technical evaluation have demonstrated that Aduro’s HCT is able to break down cross-linked polyethylene to raw material for the manufacture of ethylene.
Cross-linked polymers, like those used in Uponor PEX pipes, feature exceptional durability, chemical resistance, and mechanical strength and are used in products ranging from automotive tires to household adhesives, protective coatings, and medical devices. The global PEX pipe market is expected to reach approximately $2.79 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 6.1% (Business Research Insights, October 2024).
However, unlike thermoplastics, these materials do not melt under heat, but are exceedingly difficult to break down. Under the high temperatures conventional technologies use, they primarily degrade into char and fuel gas. Aduro’s Hydrochemolytic technology operates at relatively low temperatures and, said Chrissie Walsh, Sustainability Manager of GF Building Flow Solutions Americas, represents a promising opportunity to demonstrate the importance of partnership in innovating technical capacities and viability of advanced recycling pathways for all industries, including for our PEX pipe.
“We look forward to investigating the ability of Aduro’s HCT to provide a sustainable and cost-effective solution for our cross-linked polymer waste stream. We hope to continue building our relationship into a commercial scale solution,” she concluded.