Evonik advances chemical recycling with Purocel adsorbents and modular units
- Evonik supplies Purocel™ adsorbents to remove impurities from pyrolysis oil for steam crackers.
- Purocel™ 505 uses catalytic dechlorination plus binding to remove up to three times more chlorides than conventional solutions.
- Evonik augments adsorption with hydrotreating, using recycled Purocel H catalysts to convert remaining impurities into volatile compounds.
- Rocket Technology delivers pre‑configured column modules (e.g., with Purocel™ 510) for flexible, low‑downtime connection to pyrolysis plants and steam crackers.
Product offering
Evonik supplies adsorbents and catalysts designed to improve pyrolysis oil quality so it can be used as a supplement to fossil naphtha in steam crackers. The Purocel™ line targets impurities such as chlorine, nitrogen and silicon that jeopardize cracker operation.
Technical approach
Purocel™ 505 combines a catalytic reaction that separates chlorine atoms from larger molecules with subsequent binding of the resulting hydrogen chloride, removing up to three times more chlorides than conventional solutions. For higher specification feedstocks, Evonik combines adsorption with hydrotreating, where hydrogen converts remaining impurities into volatile compounds, and reuses Purocel H catalysts to conserve resources.
Equipment and integration
Evonik offers modular, pre‑configured column modules under its Rocket Technology concept, containing adsorbents such as Purocel™ 510. These units can be flexibly connected to pyrolysis plants and steam crackers to enable purification with limited investment and reduced downtime.
Market context and impact
Chemical recycling addresses mixed and contaminated plastic streams unsuitable for mechanical recycling. Evonik positions its technologies as system solutions across scales, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil feedstocks, lower environmental impact and improve supply resilience by enabling wider use of pyrolysis oil in petrochemical value chains.
Source: Evonik