Utrecht University Pioneers Chemical Recycling with Advanced Twin-Screw Extrusion
A Coperion STS 25 Mc11 twin screw extruder has been selected by the University of Utrecht for a study on chemical plastics recycling. The mechanical-chemical conversion of mixed plastic trash employing catalysts will be thoroughly investigated by a research team led by Assistant Professor Dr. Ina Vollmer. The Coperion STS twin screw extruder will play a key role in this exciting and mostly uncharted field because of its intense mixing effect and effective energy intake.
At the K trade show (8-15 October 2025, Dusseldorf, Germany) Coperion, together with Herbold Meckesheim, will present their entire repertoire of technology for plastics recycling at Booth 9B34 in Hall 9 as well as in the Open Area in pavilion FGCE07.
Efficient conversion of plastic waste using catalysts
In addition to established methods for recycling mechanical plastics, Coperion also has chemical plastics recycling operations. By repurposing plastic trash into premium raw materials, this technology may enable limitless recycling. The procedure is currently energy-intensive and does not always produce high-quality goods. Catalyst use may be crucial to the ongoing enhancement of process effectiveness and final product quality.
The University of Utrecht’s research project is dedicated to precisely this challenge. The STS 25 Mc11 twin screw extruder, being installed there to carry out the experiments, processes waste plastic, shredded or compacted, with two co-rotating screws in a closed process section. Together, intensive dispersion and high shear introduce a great deal of mechanical energy into the material. The plastic is energy-efficiently melted – an advantage that is particularly important in chemical recycling. Moreover, the extruder achieves a very high mixing effect with its twin screws. The catalysts being implemented in this research project are distributed absolutely homogeneously throughout the plastic melt and can fully develop their intended effect.
In conventional pyrolytic processes, the hot plastic melt is prepared within the twin screw extruder for the next step in chemical processing: pyrolysis. There, in an oxygen-free environment, the plastic is broken down to its chemical building blocks. The temperature of the pyrolysis can be lowered thanks to the efficient use of catalysts, as Vollmer’s team has shown in preliminary work.
Said Dr. Ina Vollmer regarding her research assignment: “Using the extruder, we can achieve an efficient use of the catalyst. Still, our vision is to allow pyrolysis to take place even in the extruder. We can achieve this by exploiting the mechanical-chemical reaction that occurs within the twin screw extruder, and specifically convert the polymer at lower temperatures than have previously been necessary for pyrolysis. Mixing with high shear in the extruder has a very positive effect on the use of catalysts. We are convinced that we can direct the chemical recycling process more precisely using lower temperatures, and this will lead to purer products while at the same time having the potential to revolutionize the chemical plastics recycling process sequence and save energy. “
Should the use of catalysts in the chemical recycling process prove its worth, the results of this research will easily be transferable to larger throughput ranges.
“Following Dr. Ina Vollmer’s scientific approach, we will glean systematically researched results and draw conclusions for chemical plastics recycling from which we can all profit – recyclers and processors as well as end users,” noted Leonid Liber, Sales Engineer at Coperion. “We are proud that our STS twin screw extruder is part of this promising research project, and we wish Dr. Ina Vollmer much success. We look forward to continued collaboration.”
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