Sabic upcycles ocean-bound PET bottles into virgin-quality PBT resin

By Bruce Geiselman 

Waste that might otherwise wind up in the ocean is finding a new destiny, in a resin released in May by Sabic. 

The Saudi Arabian multinational chemical company’s new polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin, LNP Elcrin WF0061BiQ, uses polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a feedstock, according to the company. 

The waste is depolymerized using a proprietary solvent-based process; the PET precursor chemicals are then purified and upcycled into PBT to conserve natural resources and promote circularity. 

Recovered from within 30 miles of a coastline, the PET bottles used in the process are otherwise likely to end up in the ocean, according to Sabic. The new resin, the latest addition to Sabic’s chemically upcycled LNP Elcrin iQ materials, helps reduce the amount of plastic flowing into the world’s oceans while also helping Sabic’s customers incorporate more recycled materials into their products, achieve carbon neutrality goals and meet consumer demands for greater sustainability, according to the company. 

“Within the next decade, we anticipate upcycling 10 billion plastic bottles into higher-performing, durable materials that deliver enhanced value to customers,” said Sanjay Mishra, GM Technology & Footprint, Sabic. “Sabic is committed to working with the plastics supply chain to find new solutions to address urgent environmental issues such as reducing ocean-bound plastic waste and achieving net-zero carbon emissions.” 

The new resin is reinforced with glass fiber and features non-brominated, non-chlorinated flame retardancy, according to Sabic. It offers excellent heat resistance, toughness and stiffness, and flows well, making it well-suited for molding thin-wall applications for outdoor use, such as in electrical equipment enclosures. It also is appropriate for consumer electronics products, including fan housings in computers, automotive seating, and electrical connectors and enclosures.  

“Adding to the value of LNP Elcrin iQ resins, the depolymerization technology used to produce them delivers virgin-like properties, allowing these materials to serve as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based PBT,” said Vandita Pai-Paranjape, a staff scientist for Sabic’s Technology and Innovation, Specialties, division. “Currently, the LNP Elcrin iQ portfolio offers consistent quality, colorability, mechanical performance and compliance with certain food-contact regulations.” 

By comparison, the more mechanically recycled plastic that’s used to replace PBT, the worse the resin performs, she said. 

LPN Elcrin iQ resins offer a smaller cradle-to-grave environmental footprint than virgin PBT resin, as measured by cumulative energy demand (CED) and global warming potential (GWP), according to a statement from the company. Compared with virgin PBT, a Sabic life-cycle assessment indicated that LNP Elcrin iQ resins had scores that were 29 percent lower for GWP and 43 percent lower for CED. 

If 100,000 metric tons of pure, virgin PBT were replaced by an equal quantity of LMP Elcrin iQ resin, about 123,000 metric tons of GHG emissions would be avoided, equivalent to the amount emitted by 26,735 passenger vehicles on U.S. roads every year, Pai-Paranjape said.  

That exchange also would require the reclamation of 8.8 billion discarded single-use, 16.9-ounce PET water bottles, and conserve about 652,000 barrels of crude oil annually, she said. 

“By replacing virgin material with our resins, customers can help reduce environmental impacts, by reusing plastic waste and eliminated halogenated additives,” said Darpan Parikh, Sabic’s Americas customer fulfillment leader, Specialties. 

By using ocean-bound bottles, the new LNP Elccrin WF0061BiQ can help clean up plastic waste, the company said. 

“PET bottles are one of the main wastes that pollute the entire ocean,” said Yuanqing He, senior product manager, LNP, Specialties, for Sabic. “Sabic’s iQ technology could help enable a better living environment for humans and marine creatures. It could help improve the ecology of the Earth, transform waste into end products enabling the entire supply chain that makes a significant contribution to the quality of human life.” 

Contact: 

Sabic Americas, Houston, 800-845-0600, www.sabic.com