Pilot-scale testing of Clariant’s pyrolysis oil upgrading technology completed

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On March 19, Clariant announced that it had completed a joint pilot project in collaboration with Norsk Hydro and the Norwegian Institute of Technology and Industry Research (SINTEF). This collaboration has validated Clariant’s pyrolysis oil upgrading technology, marking an important advancement in the industry’s efforts to develop circular economy solutions for the plastics sector. The core objective of this collaboration is to upgrade and refine waste plastic pyrolysis oil, with the aim of converting it into a feedstock that fully meets all quality standards and can be directly used in steam cracking units. Leveraging Clariant’s patented HDMax catalyst, pilot-scale tests conducted at the SINTEF research facility in Norway yielded excellent results: pyrolysis oil derived from plastic waste was converted into high-quality raw materials suitable for the production of virgin polyolefins, with all product specifications meeting the required standards, thereby confirming that this technology is ready for industrial application. Mu Jie, Vice President of Clariant’s Catalysts Ethylene Business Unit, said, “This partnership demonstrates that plastic full-chain recycling technology can be implemented at an industrial scale efficiently.” Thanks to the HDMax catalytic technology, we are able to convert waste plastics back into feedstocks that meet the stringent requirements of steam cracking units, thereby establishing a true circular economy pathway for the plastics industry. ” The core competitive advantage of Clariant’s HDMax technology is evident: compared to traditional processes that require three to four reactors, this technology can meet all quality requirements using just a single multi-stage hydrogenation reactor. This streamlined process can significantly reduce the investment costs associated with project implementation, lower operational complexity, and decrease energy consumption. Additionally, this technology can be combined with subsequent hydrocracking steps to produce naphtha-like hydrocarbon fractions, thereby further improving process efficiency and product flexibility.