Planned: Recycling Facility for Polystyrene in USA

Ineos Styrolution, the styrenics branch of the multinational chemicals group Ineos headquartered in London, will cooperate with the American company Agilyx to realize a polystyrene (PS) chemical recycling plant in Channahon (Illinois).

In 2018, the two companies had signed a memorandum of understanding for deploying Agilyx’s de-polymerization technology at or near to an Ineos
Styrolution Facility in North America. “The aim is to convert post-consumer polystyrene waste into styrene monomer that can be used to re-manufacture new polystyrene products,” a news release said. Ineos Styrolution would intend to drive the advancement of the de-polymerization technology. At that time, together with several research institutions, the company was working on a technical feasibility study and was aiming at the development of a holistic recycling concept in collaboration with waste management companies.

Now, Ineos Styrolution and Agilyx are advancing the development of the planned recycling facility. If realized, it will be capable of processing up to 100 tons per day of post-consumer polystyrene and converting it into a styrene product that will go into the manufacturing of new products. The plant will leverage Agilyx’s proprietary chemical recycling technology, which can recycle polystyrene contaminated with food and other organics and convert it back into new, food-grade plastic products or packaging. To this effect, the process breaks the material down to its molecular base monomers that will be used for the creation of new styrenic polymers. “This is a true circular recycling approach that enables everyday products, like a cup, to be recycled back into a cup”, Ionos underlined.

As reported, Agilyx recently completed a successful development program for Ineos Styrolution that qualified the styrene product to Ineos’ specifications and the identified post-consumer polystyrene feedstock for the process. The next phase of the project advances the engineering and design of the facility.

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Agilyx, based in Tigard (Oregon), has developed the first system capable of recycling polystyrene waste into styrene monomers, the information says. The company also has commercialized a technology that converts mixed plastics to high-quality crude oil. Agilyx is working with waste service providers, municipalities, refiners, and both private and public enterprises to develop closed-loop industrial solutions for mixed waste plastics.

Ineos Styrolution provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, packaging and toys/ sports/ leisure. In 2018, sales were at 5.4 billion Euro, according to the company, which employs approximately 3,500 people and operates 20 production sites in ten countries.

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www.agilyx.com
www.ineos-styrolution.com

(GR12020, Page 25, Photo: Félix Juan Gerónimo Beltré / Pixabay)