Evonik has launched its groundbreaking Purocel series, a suite of products and catalyst technologies designed to significantly enhance the quality of pyrolysis oil and drive the circular economy for plastics. This addresses a critical challenge in plastic recycling by enabling efficient purification of pyrolysis oil, making it viable as a feedstock for steam crackers and refineries.

The Purocel series encompasses a range of cutting-edge solutions - advanced adsorbents, rejuvenated hydrotreating catalysts, and a modular polishing unit. These components work synergistically to effectively remove contaminants like chlorides, silicon, and Total Acid Number (TAN) from pyrolysis oil, which is derived from plastic waste.

A key highlight of the series is the Purocel adsorbent line, featuring Purocel 505, 510, and 515, among others. Purocel 505 stands out with its exceptional chloride removal capabilities, demonstrating three times the efficiency of conventional organic chloride sorbents. This versatility allows it to be used across diverse pyrolysis oil fractions. Purocel 515 plays a crucial role in the final polishing stages of pyrolysis oil and gas, ensuring the highest purity levels.

Evonik's portfolio also includes a range of Purocel hydrotreating catalysts, namely H100, H200, H300, and H400, designed for the main catalytic bed. These catalysts excel at removing metals and organic chlorides, as well as reducing olefins and aromatics. Remarkably, these catalysts offer performance comparable to fresh catalysts and can be regenerated and reused, providing both cost-saving and environmental benefits.

To further streamline the purification process, Evonik has developed the “Rocket” technology, a skid-mounted polishing unit for pretreating pyrolysis oil feedstock. This modular system combines a tailored adsorbent with optimized fluid dynamics, significantly improving purification performance. The flexibility of the Rocket technology allows for customization to meet specific customer requirements.

Nirav Shah, Evonik Catalysts Global Director (EPC/Licensing, Re-refining/Recycling), emphasized the significance of this innovation, stating, “The removal of organic chlorides from plastic pyrolysis oil has historically presented a challenging problem for the circular plastic industry. We’re committed to constant innovation at Evonik, which we know is vital to bringing a shared solution closer.”

Max Preisenberger, Head of Catalysts at Evonik, echoed this sentiment, expressing his excitement about the market launch. “We’re excited to bring this development to market, improving circularity for the plastics industry and offering greater sustainability benefits to refineries and petrochemical companies. Our latest generation of adsorbents and catalysts means that pyrolysis oil can meet purification specifications for even the most stringent of complexes – opening up new applications.”

By enabling the conversion of plastic waste into high-quality feedstock, Evonik’s Purocel series plays a pivotal role in advancing chemical recycling.