Agilyx has big plans for chemical recycling of acrylic scrap

US firm Agilyx Corporation is collaborating with Lucite International to establish a commercial-scale trial for the recycling of PMMA, commonly known as acrylic.

The proposed site is to be built in Europe, with commercial production scheduled to start in 2023. This move follows the success of an initial smaller-scale trial using Agilyx’s molecular recycling technology with the support of parent company, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.

Partner Lucite International specialises in the design, development and manufacture of acrylic-based products and is also part of the Mitsubishi group.

‘Our technology is incredibly robust and is capable of taking waste which is considered not recyclable and heavily contaminated to process into virgin-equivalent materials, chemical intermediates and low-carbon fuels,’ Agilyx ceo Tim Stedman tells Recycling International.

He says the solution is easily scalable in multiples of 50 US tons (45 tonnes) of processing capability per day. ‘We have announced plants across the world that have greater processing capacities – like our facility in Channahon, Illinois, with a design capacity of 100 tons per day.’

Thankfully, despite the pandemic, Agilyx continues to see ‘strong interest’ in its process. ‘Our facility in Tigard, Oregon has seen some minor disruptions to incoming feedstock from certain waste generators due to a reduction in manufacturing and shipping,’ Stedman notes. ‘On the other hand, we have seen an increase of incoming foodservice items due to the increasing need for to-go options for restaurants, institutions and events.’