- Clariant's HDMax catalyst converts plastic waste-derived pyoil to cracker-grade feedstock.
- The process uses a single reactor, reducing capital investment and operational complexity.
- Pilot-scale testing was conducted at SINTEF's facility in Norway.
- The collaboration involves Clariant, Borealis, and SINTEF.
Project Overview
Clariant, in collaboration with Borealis and SINTEF, has successfully demonstrated a pilot-scale project for upgrading pyrolysis oil (pyoil) derived from plastic waste into steam cracker-compatible feedstock. This marks a significant step in advancing circular economy solutions for the plastics industry.
Technological Advancements
The project utilized Clariant's proprietary HDMax catalyst, achieving full conversion of plastic waste-derived pyoil to high-quality feedstock suitable for virgin polyolefin production. The process met all cracker-grade quality specifications, including complete saturation of dienes and conversion of contaminants like oxygenates, nitrogenates, and halogenides.
Efficiency and Cost Reduction
A key feature of Clariant's HDMax technology is its ability to complete the hydrotreating process in a single reactor, unlike alternative methods that require multiple units. This innovation significantly reduces capital investment, operational complexity, and energy consumption, while enabling subsequent hydrocracking to produce naphtha-like hydrocarbon fractions.
Collaborative Efforts
The partnership leveraged the strengths of each organization: Clariant provided specialized catalysts, Borealis contributed industry expertise and defined target quality, and SINTEF conducted comprehensive pilot-scale testing at their research facility in Norway. This collaboration demonstrates a viable closed-loop pathway for converting plastic waste back into high-quality virgin polyolefin feedstock.
