CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT, PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGIES
IDTechEx | December 12, 2022
Chemical recycling of plastic waste is gaining momentum. Headlines on investments, planned expansions, and real-world product launches are all accelerating in frequency and scale. Is this market now at a stage of implementation at scale, regulatory developments, and improving tracking & accounting methodologies, or are there still necessary technology developments?
In this article, IDTechEx explores the early-stage technologies for chemical recycling and assesses the players and likely commercial impact. For an independent analysis on the chemical recycling market, see the brand new IDTechEx market report, "Chemical Recycling and Dissolution of Plastics 2023-2033".
The concept of chemical recycling is taking an end-of-life plastic back to either its monomeric feedstock or further upstream to raw materials and allowing it to re-enter the value chain at virgin-grade quality, in theory, an infinite number of times. There remains a large amount of criticism of this space, particularly concerning the economic and environmental viability, with lobbying and activism groups very prominent on both sides of the debate. As with everything, the reality is more nuanced. Are these processes the perfect solution to all our sustainable polymer needs? No. Do they have no merits whatsoever, particularly in tackling a percentage of plastic waste that mechanical recycling cannot satisfy and would otherwise end up in landfill? Also no. Of course, the sustainability conversation is broader than simply focusing on chemical recycling, but this article will leave this debate to one side and focus on the current and emerging technical solutions.
One of the more notable technology developments in a related field is hydrothermal liquefaction. Here, supercritical water and a catalyst are used to break mixed polymers into long chain hydrocarbons. One of the reported advantages is the ability to tolerate lower quality mixed material feedstocks, specifically those with a higher proportion of PVC, which is a key problem in pyrolysis. As with pyrolysis, this is not new, but young companies are gaining significant momentum, the most notable being Licella. Through joint ventures and other engagements, the core technology from Licella has progressed to strategic partnerships and planned projects with the likes of Dow, Mitsubishi Chemical, and LG Chem.
Similarly, gasification is also not a new process and has been extensively deployed to remove municipal solid waste particularly in Japan. What is changing is the idea that syngas generated need not be used for on-site energy, but rather it can be purified and converted into longer chain hydrocarbons, methanol, or ethanol. With the ability to use MSW, gasification acts as the final option for any circularity before incineration. Players are exploring this. Enerkem is one of the more notable players, and their first commercial plant opened in 2014. As of late 2022, Enerkem has a further plant under construction for 2023, and two more are being planned. It should be noted that, as with pyrolysis, although the product can re-enter the supply chain, it often does not and is instead used as a fuel.
Although not discussed in this article, other processes should not be overlooked. This varies from developing polymers with dynamic bonds to facilitate the circular economy, to the secondary recycling process for the dissolution or purification of plastics. The latter is not chemical recycling but is a promising route to achieving higher-grade materials than other mechanical routes without needing to go so far back up the value chain. This is gaining commercial activity through the likes of Trinseo, Purecycle Technologies, APK, Polystyvert, and Worn Again; as with the other processes, many of the younger technology providers can boast partnerships with major companies across the plastic value chain.
As can be seen, there are lots of scientific developments and engineering challenges in this field that should not be overlooked amongst all the noise in this field. IDTechEx has launched a leading report on the topic, "Chemical Recycling and Dissolution of Plastics 2023-2033". IDTechEx are independent and have provided a comprehensive overview of the market, including interview-based player profiles, technology appraisals and 10-year market forecasts.
About IDTechEx
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CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY
Babcock & Wilcox | November 22, 2022
Babcock & Wilcox announced that it has signed an agreement with NRG Korea to study the applicability of B&W’s BrightLoop™ technology for a hydrogen generation facility using biomass fuel in South Korea.
B&W’s BrightLoop chemical looping technology is part of its ClimateBright™ suite of decarbonization and hydrogen technologies. The BrightLoop process uses a proprietary, regenerable particle and has been demonstrated to effectively separate carbon dioxide while producing hydrogen, steam and/or syngas, and is ready for commercial scale-up.
B&W and NRG have signed a memorandum of understanding to study the technology and potentially develop the project, which would use waste biomass as feedstock to produce hydrogen for fuel cells used for electrical generation.
“As the energy transition accelerates, clean hydrogen from net-carbon neutral sources will play an increasingly important role in energy generation. B&W’s BrightLoop technology is a cutting-edge solution for hydrogen generation from virtually any fuel stock, and, depending on a customer’s needs, also can be used to isolate CO2 for capture or use, and produce steam or syngas. BrightLoop is a flexible solution with a wide array of potential applications.”
Joe Buckler, B&W Senior Vice President, Clean Energy
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to work closely with NRG to develop this groundbreaking clean energy project,” Buckler said.
Jay Kim, Chief Executive Officer of NRG Korea said, “NRG Korea is excited to be cooperating with Babcock & Wilcox, a world-renowned technology leader, in the development of this unique and innovative energy project. We see this project as a significant development in the renewable energy space by generating clean electrical power using green hydrogen produced from a renewable waste-based fuel.”
NRG Korea, established in 2008, is a Korean company specializing in waste processing and manufacture of alternative fuels and holds a number of patents related to their unique processing technologies.
B&W’s ClimateBright suite of revolutionary decarbonization technologies are designed to help utilities and industry aggressively combat greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. These technologies have application for a wide range of industries including energy production, food manufacturing, steel, cement, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, carbon black, and pulp and paper.
About Babcock & Wilcox
Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. is a leader in energy and environmental products and services for power and industrial markets worldwide.
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CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
Globally recognized | November 23, 2022
Globally recognized research and development leader Chris Heckle has been appointed as the first director of the Materials Manufacturing Innovation Center at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.
Argonne established the MMIC with the goal of bringing advanced materials and chemical manufacturing technologies including energy storage and others essential for the clean energy transition to market faster, by cultivating and sustaining partnerships between the laboratory and the private sector, DOE, universities, and other stakeholders.
Heckle most recently served as Research Director for Inorganic Materials Research and Asia Research Labs for Corning Incorporated. She is a materials informatics champion who over a 25-year career has facilitated technology innovation across business units for multiple industries, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. She brings to Argonne experience in creating a manufacturing platform that opened new market opportunities for Corning in energy storage, as well as a demonstrated record of translating megatrends into technical thrusts and accelerating product timelines through introduction and adoption of new tools.
“I’m thrilled for this opportunity to support materials and chemical processing companies by connecting stakeholders and Argonne’s impressive variety of capabilities and people,” Heckle said. “And I’m passionate about people development, which is essential to prepare a new generation of technology and manufacturing leaders for our nation.”
To help partners commercialize new materials, Argonne manufacturing experts leverage a one-of-a-kind combination of facilities — including the Materials Engineering Research Facility, Advanced Photon Source, and Argonne Leadership Computing Facility — to rapidly develop and scale up materials discovered at the laboratory bench (gram-scale) to commercially relevant quantities produced using cost-effective, scalable processes.
“We are pleased that Chris has chosen to join our team. Her deep technical knowledge and record of innovation and motivational leadership will guide the laboratory in making meaningful and long-lasting partner connections, to fulfill the MMIC mission of advancing U.S. technological leadership in materials manufacturing at a critical time.”
Megan Clifford, Associate Laboratory Director for Science and Technology Partnerships and Outreach at Argonne
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CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
JIOS Aerogel | November 17, 2022
JIOS Aerogel, a leading innovator in critical components for electric-vehicle batteries, has unveiled a plan to commission a state-of-the-art factory in Singapore to produce cutting-edge technology for battery manufacturers. The facility will use a breakthrough, automated production process that was developed with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
The first manufacturing equipment will be delivered to the factory in December 2022, with output from the company's Pilot Line commencing in Q1 2023. JIOS' fully automated line will be running at total capacity in Q4 2023, producing the company's range of Thermal Blade™ products that mitigate the risk of thermal runaway in the batteries of electric vehicles.
The commissioning of the JIOS Aerogel facility is supported by the EDB, a government agency under the Ministry or Trade and Industry of Singapore. EDB is responsible for strategies that enhance Singapore's position as a global centre for business, innovation and talent.
JIOS investment is in response to substantial increases in demand for its products, with automakers estimated to spend $1.2 trillion in the next 8 years on EVs, batteries, and materials. This investment to manufacture aerogel-based materials leverages multiple innovations in products and processes developed by researchers at the JIOS Innovation Centre in Singapore.
JTC: Singapore's sustainable innovation factory
The JIOS Aerogel factory will be located at the JTC Chemicals Hub, Singapore's first high-rise, multi-tenanted development designed to house companies involved in the manufacturing, blending, and of distributing chemicals. JTC is the government agency championing sustainable industrial development in Singapore.
JTC's plug-and-play solutions allow JIOS to reduce its upfront capital costs and shorten set-up time while simultaneously maintaining low overhead costs. The Chemicals Hub comes with a suite of safety-compliant features such as enhanced fire protection systems shared facilities like fire-water retention tanks and a centralized foam system.
Scaling global supply of chemicals and materials for electric vehicles
The rapid growth in electric vehicles is driving substantial opportunities for chemical and materials manufacturers, with a potential value pool of more than $20 billion by 2030, excluding battery cell chemistry.
"Establishing our manufacturing facility is the next step in our investment program, as we commercialize our product innovation and development supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board. The factory's location at JTC was chosen to support the rapid industrialization of our products, to achieve the scale and competitive cost position required by global automakers."
Andrew Stearns, CEO at JIOS Aerogel
About JIOS Aerogel
JIOS Aerogel is the world's leading manufacturer of silica aerogel powder. Founded in 2013 to pioneer a new process that dramatically lowers the cost of aerogel production, the company has progressed rapidly to prove the scalability of its technology. Since 2019 the company's joint-venture operation with a global insulation company has used its patent-protected manufacturing process to produce insulation for the industrial, oil & gas markets.
JIOS Aerogel's technology portfolio includes solutions that mitigate thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries. These solutions address one of the key challenges in electrification, supporting the rapidly expanding markets for electric vehicles (EVs) and Energy Storage Systems. JIOS Aerogel is headquartered in Singapore and is backed by investors that include a Fortune 500®, global manufacturer.
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