Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) has given another step towards commercialisation of its chemical recycling technology for polycarbonates (PC).
The Japan-based corporation has been operating a test bench facility at its Kyushu plant in Kitakyushu city since October 2023. MCG uses microwave pyrolysis technology to obtain methyl methacrylate (MMA) from acrylic resin waste. The facility has been producing recycled PC resin at bench-scale from feedstock recovered from tail lamps of end-of-life vehicles around the Kanto region.
Now, MCG will extend verification testing to acrylic resin recovered from automotive headlamps in Kanto, which are harder to recover than tail lamps. It is partnering with Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance (FMNF) and ABT Corporation, which provide the feedstock through their car insurance business and vehicle dismantling, respectively.