Finnish Tech Center to Commercialize Chemical Recycling Process for Polyolefins

The VTT Technical Research Center, owned by the Finnish state, has announced it will spin off Olefy Technologies as a separate company. The move will allow the commercialization of a process for recycling waste developed as part of VTT Launchpad, VTT’s science technology incubator.

The recycling technology uses steam to rapidly heat waste plastics, breaking them down into virgin-grade olefin. The process works at a lower temperature than conventional naphtha cracking, and so it saves energy in addition to its potential to displace virgin production from oil. CO₂ emissions are reduced by approximately 60%, VTT estimates. It works best with better quality feeds such as industrial waste, but can tolerate both organic and inorganic impurities and be used for any polyolefin-rich waste stream.

Materials like PET are not well suited for the process, because oxygen will react with the gaseous products. Given that existing systems for recycling PET are relatively robust, the Olefy process may fit in as a complement for recycling waste streams from which PET has already been removed.

Matti Nieminen, principal scientist at VTT, is technology director at the new company. “We have already tested our process with reject material from a mechanical recycling plant. This is very low quality material that would end up in an incinerator. Our Olefy process was able to recover more than 23% of the olefins, and in addition we recovered aromatic chemicals like benzene, xylene, and toluene,” said Nieminen. “Thus the overall yield of chemically recycled materials was more than 30% from this very low value waste.”

Olefy is currently exploring partnerships with technology providers to bring the process to market. The company anticipates its technology will be incorporated into existing steam cracking sites. Industrial demonstration is expected by 2026.