INEOS Styrolution achieves lab-scale production of ABS from recycled styrene

Waste management company Indaver and producer INEOS Styrolution recently announced the successful laboratory-scale production of ABS from recycled styrene (ABrS)
.
The first 10 kilograms of material were produced in INEOS Styrolution's laboratory in Cologne, Germany, and processed by research and development partner Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH
.
According to reports, tests have shown that the material has no measurable difference in performance from the virgin material, but can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%
.

The successful proof-of-concept for the production of ABS from recycled material is an important milestone for the Absolute Cycles research project, according to the two partners
.
The project is funded by the EU LIFE programme, which provides financial support for initiatives that promote environmental and resource efficiency
.

“With the near-commissioning of the Antwerp polystyrene recycling plant and the ABrS mini-plant, we will take another important step towards producing ABS from recycled material on a commercial scale,
” said Petra Inghelbrecht, research project leader at ABSolutely Circular
.

The four-year project was launched in October 2020
.
At the time, INEOS Styrolution emphasized that it wanted to unlock the properties of styrene in a more sustainable way
.
ABS copolymer has the advantages of strong structure, stable size, light weight, and food contact requirements, and is widely used in automotive, medical care, electronics, household and other fields
.