VolCat

VolCat, which is short for Volatile Catalyst, is a chemical recycling process developed by IBM to digest and convert PET plastics and polyesters back into feedstock for plastics manufacturing.

Nearly 8 million tons of PET plastics waste enters the oceans every year. PET plastics form about 10% of all plastics produced each year and are used as bottles in beverage and food industries. They are often rejected in recycling processes require clean and non-colored materials.

VolCat process begins with heating grounded-up waste to 190 degrees Celsius along with ethylene glycol and the catalyst. This depolymerises the plastic.

Then, the material is cooled to 100 degrees Celsius and filtered. The solid monomer is recovered, corresponding to about 75% of the total input. The monomer is Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl) terephthalate or BHET, which can be used to make PET plastics.

The remaining solution and catalyst are recovered by distillation and reintroduced in the system.

The researchers aim to replace petroleum-based catalysts currently used in reactors that break down polyester plastics.

The feedstock includes PET plastics and even clothes and carpets made of polyester. It can accept dirty waste. The process produces high grade recycled PET even from low-grade mixed post-consumer resin of PET.

The process aims to make plastics recycling simpler and more widespread. It does not require washing and sorting processes used in conventional mechanical recycling, thus saving on costs.

IBM claims that the process is also cheaper because it is a closed-loop process in which chemicals can be recovered and it runs on low temperatures.

IBM is looking to launch pilot projects with industry and academic organizations, and experts to further develop the process.