Sulzer Chemtech has finalized an agreement with Encina Development Group, LLC. Sulzer Chemtech will provide technology to recover high purity circular aromatics from cracked oil products derived from Encina’s mixed-plastics-to-aromatics catalytic conversion platform. Encina’s 1000 tons per day waste plastics recycling facility will be located in Northeast United States, and is expected to be operational in 2024.

Encina has developed a catalytic platform wherein the cracked products selectively contain high levels of circular aromatics as well as other valuable by-products. Sulzer Chemtech will provide its hydrotreating and aromatics extraction technology (SuRe™ BTX) to recover high purity circular benzene and toluene.

Sulzer Chemtech’s flagship aromatic extraction technology (GT-BTX®) has been deployed worldwide for aromatics recovery from reformate and naphtha cracked pyrolysis with more than 70 licenses sold. This is the first commercial application of this technology where waste plastics is used as feedstock within a circular chemical solution to help resolve a global environmental issue.

Carlo Badiola, Senior VP of Engineering and Technology at Encina, comments: “We selected Sulzer Chemtech and its SuRe™ BTX technology due to the company’s leading expertise in aromatic extraction. Sulzer Chemtech’s technology will allow us to produce high-quality circular aromatics from catalytically converted oil products derived from plastic waste. This collaboration will drive-up sustainable practices in industry.”

Sander van Donk, Head Global Technology Business at Sulzer Chemtech, concludes: “We are pleased to support Encina’s mission of enabling circularity in plastics recycling by providing our SuRe™ BTX technology downstream of their catalytic conversion process. This novel value chain builds on Sulzer Chemtech’s commitment to circularity and opens up an entirely new market for ultra-pure circular benzene and toluene produced from waste plastics.”