Sulzer PLA bioplastics production technology selected for NatureWorks’ new plant with annual capacity of 75’000 tons
Developed to support the increasing global demand for polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics, NatureWorks’ fully integrated plant will utilize Sulzer Chemtech’s advanced lactide purification and polymer production technology to produce 75’000 tons per year of Ingeo polylactic acid (PLA) annually, which is used in applications like compostable food packaging. Selected to design and supply lactide purification, polymerization and devolatilization units at NatureWorks’ newest facility, Sulzer Chemtech will provide technology, engineering services and key equipment to design and supply fully customized production solutions meeting NatureWorks’ specific requirements.
Neste successfully concludes first series of processing trial runs at industrial scale with liquefied waste plastic
Neste has successfully concluded its first series of trial runs processing liquefied waste plastic at its Porvoo refinery in Finland. After kicking the series off with its first-ever industrial scale trial run with liquefied waste plastic in 2020, Neste has conducted additional runs in 2021. During the trial runs, Neste has been able to upgrade liquefied waste plastic to drop-in solutions for plastic production and develop industrial scale capabilities to upgrade recycled feedstocks. Neste has set itself the goal of processing more than one million tons of plastic waste per year from 2030 onwards. To achieve that goal, the company is advancing chemical recycling to turn plastic waste into a valuable raw material, strengthening circularity.
SIBUR and Technip Energies announce agreement to license lower carbon HEXSIB technology
Hexene-1 is a comonomer of choice in the production of high-value specialty resins. The incorporation of hexene-1 allows for better end-product properties and contributes to a lower use of carbon for equivalent performance. This novel technology, operating at low pressure and temperatures, has been developed by SIBUR and will be licensed by Technip Energies. Daria Borisova, SIBUR Management Team Member, Managing Director of Development and Innovations, said: “The agreement with Technip Energies strengthens the engineering platform of SIBUR’s technology and gives us the opportunity to promote it through Technip Energies’ partner network. SIBUR is currently selecting a site within the group’s range of facilities for production of hexene-1 with the HEXSIB technology to satisfy its own and the market’s needs as the company expands its portfolio of high value grades and share of comonomers.”