BASF is working in a partnership project to develop a new process for the recycling of polyurethane insulation materials from old fridges, said the company.
The depolymerisation chemical recycling process will enable the material to be turned into a polyol, which in turn can be used in the production of new polyurethane materials.
Currently, rigid foam insulating material from fridges ends up as ‘regrind’ which is used for energy generation.
Initial trials on the new process have produced positive results, BASF said in a statement.
“This innovative process is particularly challenging because it has to be very robust in order to reliably convert post-consumer waste with high levels of foreign substances into a high-quality recycled polyol. The progress made by the four partners is promising.”
The project’s goal is to develop an industrial process that delivers high-quality recycled polyols comparable to those obtained from primary fossil raw materials, the German chemicals producer added.
BASF is collaborating with REMONDIS Electrorecycling, RAMPF Eco Solutions, and machine and systems manufacturer KraussMaffei.
We remind, Fluor Corporation announced that the company was awarded two reimbursable engineering, procurement and construction management contracts by BASF for the ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol and infrastructure, offsites and utilities packages as part of the company’s new Verbund program in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, Chin.
mrchub.com