The United States leading chemical company ‘Eastman’ has developed novel technology which uses plastic waste as a feedstock.
Eastman has already done with pilot tests at its several sites such as Tennessee, Kingsport, and planning to start commercial production in 2019 with the help of its existing units.
The new technology adapted the front end of the company’s cellulosics production, letting it use plastic waste as a feedstock, Eastman stated in a statement.
The company reported its most common carbon renewal technology could recycle some of the more composite plastic waste, comprising mixed plastics and non-polyester plastics that cannot be reprocessed with the help of conventional technologies.
This new technology can distract such plastic materials as plastic films and flexible packaging from landfills, the company said.
This technology is important as existing recycling plants in the United States were made to recover bottles.
This goes in contrast to the trend of plastics production, which is moving towards non-bottle rigid plastic and more plastic films.
Therefore, any technology which can improve plastic film will help compensate this gap in the recycling industry.
The company said, the process partially oxidizes plastic waste and transforms it at high efficacy rates in the building blocks for some of the products.
The company segments by using these building blocks which include Fibers and Advanced Materials, and the products made with these serve the durables, ophthalmics, textiles, packaging, and nonwovens markets, the company said.
Advance Materials are used to make polyvinyl butyral, copolyesters, and cellulose esters. Fibers are used to make acetic anhydride, acetic acid, triacetin, cellulose acetate, and others.
The company did not disclose which of these products will be made from a feedstock which is derived from the recycled plastic.
Eastman is exploring commercial partnerships, it stated. In March, the company introduced additional chemical recycling technology which would collapse waste polyester into its monomers, letting the feedstock to be recycled to make chemicals. The technology will depend on methanolysis. The main goal is to function a full-scale plant in 24-36 months, the company said.