Coperion supplies plant for chemical recycling of PMMA to Renov8
Highly economical process and technology solution for recycling PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). It will thermally convert PMMA into liquid rMMA in a continuous process.
Coperion is supplying a complete system for the chemical recycling of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) to Renov8, a subsidiary of just right® based in JAFZA, Dubai, one of the leading manufacturers in plastics processing and manufacturing, specializing in sustainable solutions.
The Coperion system for the chemical recycling of PMMA will be installed at the KEZAD Polymers Park in Abu Dhabi, which is among the most popular vertically integrated Polymers downstream manufacturing eco-systems in the region. It will thermally convert PMMA into liquid rMMA in a continuous process. The system includes material handling, two ARW discharge agitators with discharge screws and two Smart Weigh Belt (SWB) feeders, as well as a ZSK 92 Mc18 twin screw extruder with 92 mm screw diameter, a vacuum system and a condenser. Key components of the system are produced in-house by Coperion.
Nilesh Jain, founder of Renov8, visited Coperion at its booth 14/B19 at K 2022 to sign the contract. The conclusion of the contract was preceded by extensive tests on the chemical recycling of PMMA at Coperion’s Test Center.
Chemical recycling of PMMA
Coperion’s process solution allows for the thermal recycling of PMMA to rMMA in a very economical, continuous process. The PMMA recyclate is conveyed via a discharge agitator ARW and a discharge screw to a Smart Weigh Belt (SWB) feeder. This low-headroom gravimetric feeder weighs large quantities of bulk material with at high accuracy and feeds it reliably into a ZSK twin screw extruder.
In the Coperion ZSK Mc18 twin screw extruder a great deal of mechanical energy is quickly introduced into the PMMA via the co-rotating twin screws thanks to the very high torque of 18 Nm/cm³. The temperature of the melt rises very energy-efficiently in a very short time. The material depolymerizes. Gaseous MMA is produced, which is reliably extracted via the degassing domes of a vacuum system and then converted into liquid rMMA in a condenser. Coperion’s solution for chemical recycling takes place with significantly lower energy consumption than pyrolysis processes without extruders or compared to recycling with single screw extruders.
The chemical recycling system for Renov8 will allow the processing of two separate product streams. Thanks to its very good self-cleaning properties, PMMA with different light transmittances can be recycled on the same ZSK 92 Mc18 twin screw extruder in a very short time without any loss of quality.
Closing the loop through plastic recycling
Renov8 specializes in the recycling of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). Located in KEZAD Polymers Park Abu Dhabi which is fully integrated with one of the fastest growing ports in the world, Khalifa port, the company’s 30,000 m² site is dedicated to using closed-loop process solutions and best-in-class, efficient technologies to conserve resources, eliminate waste and save energy for a sustainable, long-term future.
