Drum-quantity product samples of aromatics produced from recycled mixed waste plastics are available from sustainable technology developer Anellotech. The recycled benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) will be available to current and potential commercial partners.

The samples are made at Anellotech’s TCat-8 facility — a fully automated, 30 m-tall pilot plant locatedThe TCat-8 facility. Source: Anellotech inside Trecora’s Silsbee, Texas, facility — during ongoing studies demonstrating Anellotech’s Plas-TCat catalytic pyrolysis technology. TCat-8 can operate 24/7 and converts a representative mixed waste plastics feedstock — including all major plastic types, with the exception of polyvinyl chloride, into BTX, light olefins and paraffins.

"Anellotech can offer BTX samples made directly from mixed waste plastics to potential commercial partners to encourage engagement with our program” said David Sudolsky, president and CEO of Anellotech. “Unlike thermal pyrolysis, Plas-TCat makes BTX and other chemicals in one reactor, providing true 100% recycled BTX (not mass balance approach) for studies today and eventual future commercial use.”

Based on a proprietary catalyst and fluid bed reactor-regenerator system, Plas-TCat provides a new, direct route to light olefins and aromatics from plastic waste streams — such as polyolefins, polyamides (nylon), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate and polystyrene — without the need for steam cracker furnaces. The resulting output of BTX, as well as ethylene, propylene and butylene (light olefins), are suitable after separation for plastics manufacturers to produce a wide range of virgin plastics.