Toray and Honda to Validate Chemical Recycling of Reinforced PA6 Automotive Parts

Toray Industries, Inc., announced it signed an agreement with Honda Motor Co., Ltd., to jointly develop a chemical recycling technology for glass-fiber reinforced nylon 6 parts recovered from end-of-life vehicles.

The two have begun verifying this technology, which entails depolymerizing with subcritical water and regenerating the materials as caprolactam, a raw monomer.

Using Subcritical Water to Depolymerize Nylon 6:

The two companies focused on such subcritical water characteristics as its high permeability, dissolving power, and hydrolysis effect in resins in developing a technology that successfully depolymerizes nylon 6 with that water.

#Subcriticalwater is water at high temperatures and pressures. It is free of catalysts, additives do not affect it, and it can depolymerize nylon 6 in several dozen minutes to create high yields of raw monomer. Separating, refining, and repolymerizing that monomer makes it possible to regenerate nylon 6 that performs like a virgin material.

The Ministry of the Environment adopted this technology for a fiscal 2023 project to establish a decarbonized circular economy system, including to validate recycling systems for plastics and other resources. Toray and #Honda look to employ that project to set up a pilot facility with a processing capacity of 500 metric tons annually of raw resin, conducting validation testing with it.

To Broaden the Scope of their Technology:

The first step with this work is to recycle used #automotiveplastic parts into the same automotive materials. The two companies will develop depolymerization and #monomer separation and refining technologies by employing intake #manifolds as raw materials for engine intake system parts. They seek to apply these technologies for recycling chemicals in #automotive resin parts by around 2027.

Down the track, they look to broaden the scope of their chemical recycling technology to encompass apparel, films, and other non-automotive applications. They also envisage inviting other companies to take part in their effort and a set up a #chemicalrecycling scheme for #nylon6 in Japan. This endeavor would help realization a circular economy and cut #greenhousegasemissions.

One goal of the #Toray Group #Sustainability Vision for 2050 is to contribute to a world in in resources are sustainably managed. Toray will keep pursuing research and development to contribute to a sustainable, #circulareconomy and thereby realize its corporate philosophy of contributing to social progress by delivering new value while attaining sustainable growth.

Source: Toray/specialchem

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