BASF launches new PuriCycle® to help plastics recycling

        BASF launches PuriCycle®, a new advanced, high-performance product range for the purification of complex pyrolysis feedstocks of waste plastics. The PuriCycle portfolio consists of novel catalysts and adsorbents that selectively remove or convert a wide range of impurities from pyrolysis oils and enable downstream processes for recycled plastic streams. PuriCycle’s ingredients comply with industry standards and allow users to benefit from highly efficient purification and refining solutions, increasing flexibility in the overall chemical recycling of plastics.

        PuriCycle purifies pyrolysis oil, a secondary raw material obtained from the chemical recycling of plastic waste, and uses it in the production of new plastics early in the value chain. Purification of pyrolysis oil obtained from waste plastics is one of the most demanding technologies in chemical plastic recycling. Impurities in pyrolysis oil include halogens, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur compounds, but also highly reactive components such as dienes, which complicate downstream applications and severely limit further processing in the production of new materials.

        “With our PuriCycle portfolio, we are very well positioned for chemical plastic recycling and enable the circularity of plastics,” said Dr. Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President, Process Catalysts, BASF. “The PuriCycle portfolio purifies challenging pyrolysis oil processes and its performance makes a significant contribution to closing the recycling loop for plastics, minimizing waste and ultimately opening up new feedstocks for the chemical industry.”