• Evonik improves the quality of pyrolysis oil for direct use in steam cracker units
• Catalysts and adsorbents enable high-efficiency chemical recycling to accelerate circular economy development
• Modular systems support seamless integration into existing production facilities

Evonik is developing innovative solutions based on proprietary catalysts and adsorbents to upgrade pyrolysis oil quality and boost the efficiency of plastic chemical recycling.

During plastic pyrolysis, plastic waste is decomposed into basic chemical building blocks under high temperatures and oxygen-free conditions. Pyrolysis oil serves as the core product of this process, acting as a viable supplement to fossil feedstocks such as crude oil-derived naphtha. The refined pyrolysis oil can be further processed in steam cracker units to produce key plastic monomers, including ethylene and propylene.

Nevertheless, crude pyrolysis oil commonly contains impurities such as chlorine, nitrogen and silicon, which can undermine the operational efficiency and safety of steam cracker units. "Cracker operators impose stringent quality standards on incoming feedstocks. Our tailored products are developed precisely to meet these requirements and deliver substantial improvements to pyrolysis oil quality," commented Hendrick Rasch, who leads the circular packaging and plastic recycling business under Evonik’s Next Markets initiative.

Leveraging its decades of profound expertise in petrochemicals and feedstock treatment, Evonik began researching and developing pyrolysis oil purification technologies years ago. Currently, the company offers the Purocel™ adsorbent portfolio specially engineered to remove impurities from pyrolysis oil. As a flagship grade in this lineup, Purocel™ 505 features up to three times higher chloride removal efficiency from pyrolysis oil compared with conventional purification solutions.

For ultra-high-standard application scenarios, Evonik integrates adsorption technology with hydrotreating processes. In this workflow, hydrogen reacts with residual impurities and converts them into volatile compounds for easy removal. To maximize resource conservation, recycled Purocel H catalysts are adopted throughout this hydrotreating process.

Beyond chemical-based purification solutions, Evonik also provides ready-to-use modular systems that can be easily integrated into existing production lines. Powered by Evonik’s Rocket Technology platform, pre-configured column modules pre-filled with adsorbents like Purocel™ 510 are available for customers. These modular units can be flexibly connected to both pyrolysis plants and steam cracker facilities, enabling efficient pyrolysis oil purification without massive capital investment or prolonged plant shutdowns.

"Our solutions demonstrate how technological innovation can drive the advancement of the circular economy. We firmly believe that chemical recycling is a critical pillar for building a sustainable plastics economy," said Rasch.

The recycling of contaminated and mixed plastic waste remains a global industry challenge. Mechanical recycling has been widely applied to process single-type plastic waste such as PET bottles, yet it faces inherent limitations when handling large volumes of mixed or contaminated plastic streams — a pain point that chemical recycling is designed to address.

Driven by increasingly robust regulatory frameworks worldwide, global market demand for chemical recycling continues to grow steadily. As a reliable system partner for the plastics and petrochemical industry, Evonik delivers customized solutions covering a full range of application scenarios, from small-scale pyrolysis plants to large integrated petrochemical complexes.

Evonik’s cutting-edge technologies not only accelerate circular economy transition but also enhance overall industrial resilience. By adopting pyrolysis oil as a circular feedstock, the petrochemical and plastics industry can reduce reliance on finite fossil resources, lower its overall environmental footprint, and strengthen raw material supply security.