Extrusion International USA 5-2019

16 Extrusion International 5/2019 INDUSTRY NEWS JGC Corporation, Ebara Environmental Plant Co., Ltd., Ube Industries, Ltd., and Showa Denko K.K. announced that they started a study of collaboration for an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (hereinafter, “EPC”) business for plastic waste gasification facilities utilizing the Ebara Ube Process (hereinafter, “EUP”) following conclusion of a non-disclosure agreement on July 31, 2019. 1. Aim of Promoting Gasification Chemical Recycling of Plastic Waste: Promotion of plastic waste recycling has become a global issue, as seen in the ocean microplastic problem. While Japan’s plastic recycling ratio is 86%, only 13.5%of the plastics waste are recycledas resources and the rest is exported toother countries or thermally recycled (fiscal 2017)*. Furthermore, establishment of resource recycling systems is urgently needed in Japan and other countries amid tightening regulations for solid waste import in China and Southeast Asian countries. Gasification chemical recy- cling of plastic waste is capable of decomposing amixture of vari- ous kinds of plastics and impurities, which presents difficulties for other recycling methods, into the molecular level and regenerat- ing various chemical materials. It should contribute to substantial improvement of the recycling ratio. * Source: “Plastic Products, Plastic Waste and Resource Recovery [2017] ” (Plastic WasteManagement Institute) 2. Ebara Ube Process (EUP): The EUP, which was developed by EBARA CORPORATION (transferred this business to Ebara Envi- ronmental Plant in 2009) and Ube Industries in 2000, is a process that gasifies plastic waste using partial oxidation with oxygen and steam, and produces synthesis gases that can be utilized in synthesis of ammonia, olefins, and other chemicals. A gasification facility steadily operating at Showa Denko’s Ka- wasaki Plant (annual plastic waste processing capability: ap- UBE Europe GmbH www.ube.com Third Production Line for PET Polymer Producer Twelve years ago, NEO Group purchased BKG ® underwater pelletizers and related components for three PET polymerization lines but installed only two, storing the unused BKG equipment in their original shipping boxes. Today the company has a new, third PET line, making it the second-largest PET producer in Eu- rope, and those 12-year-old BKG pelletizers are hard at work as if they were delivered yesterday. NEOGroup had purchased the PET production lines fromZimmer AG, including twelve BKG underwater pelletizers – four for each Nordson Polymer Processing Systems www.nordsonpolymerprocessing.com NEO Group https://neogroup.eu/ polymerization line – plus polymer diverter valves, gear pumps, water systems, pellet dryers, and controls. “The smooth startup of the pelletizing systems reflects the high quality inherent in BKG products,” said Godfrey Sandham, vice president, Nordson Polymer Processing Systems, Europe. “It was the excellent reputationof BKGpelletizers andmelt delivery com- ponents that drove Nordson to acquire these businesses,” noted Sandham. “Since then we have invested heavily in processes for continuous improvement of our products and have just complet- ed construction of a global hub for the BKG brand in Münster, Germany.” NEO Group complex at Klaipeda, Lithuania Start of the Study on Collaboration for Promotion of Gasification Chemical Recycling of PlasticWaste proximately 70,000 tons) since 2003 applies EUP. This is the only technology for gasification chemical recycling in the world with a long-term track record of commercial operation. 3. Plans: The four companies (JGC, Ebara Environmental Plant, Ube Industries, and Showa Denko) aim to conclude an EUP licens- ing contract within the year, and then actively implement sales efforts for gasification facilities for plastic waste adopting EUP in Japan and other countries and conduct EPC activities. They also intend to promote the spread of gasification chemical recycling and use of recycling in Japan and other countries via proposals for chemical production facilities utilizing ammonia, olefins, and other chemicals made from facilities which adopt EUP. K 2019: Hall 6, Booth E08 Flow of gasification chemical recycling for plastic waste