Green, blue and orange plastic granules in jars with recycling symbol – symbol for sustainable plastic recycling

A fine art: Chemical recycling of plastics

The European Commission has decided that 55 % of plastic packaging should be recycled by 2030. To achieve this ambitious goal, chemical recycling methods are gaining increasing attention. These processes enable plastic waste to be returned to its basic chemical building blocks. They place high demands on pumps and valves since high temperatures, aggressive fluids and pressure fluctuations are a daily standard in this application. The solution: Technology from KSB

Innovative processes for the circular economy of the future

Chemical recycling of plastic waste comes in to play where mechanical recycling methods reach their limits, opening up completely new ways of reusing valuable resources. The three main processes involved in chemical recycling are conversion, depolymerisation and dissolution. As they take different approaches to recovering raw materials, they place different demands on pumps and valves.

In conversion processes such as pyrolysis or gasification, plastic waste is converted into pyrolysis oil, basic chemical building blocks that can then be used to produce new plastics or other chemical products.

The objective of depolymerisation, in contrast, is to return plastics to their original monomers. These monomers can then serve as the basis for new plastic products, creating a closed loop.

Dissolution is a physical process that has become increasingly important in recent years. Plastics are selectively dissolved by solvents in order to remove contaminants and recover high-quality polymer structures, enabling high-quality plastics to be recycled that are difficult to recycle with mechanical methods.

Graphic illustrating the life-cycle of plastics with a focus on chemical recycling: depolymerisation, dissolution and conversion — The plastics cycle at a glance: Chemical recycling opens up new ways of recovering valuable raw materials from plastic waste by using processes such as depolymerisation, dissolution and conversion.

Maximum performance for a closed-loop circular economy

Conversion, depolymerisation and dissolution processes place the highest demands on the plant equipment used. From extremely high temperatures of up to 400 °C, very high pressures and strong pressure fluctuations to aggressive chemicals, the various systems must always operate with absolute reliability under extreme conditions.

Pumps and valves from KSB offer you a range of benefits:

Maximum safety at high temperatures: Thanks to high-quality materials and robust designs with high-precision seals, our pumps and valves ensure reliable performance and maximum safety across a wide temperature range.
High resistance to corrosive substances: Made from corrosion-resistant materials and equipped with high-precision seals, our pumps and valves can withstand even the most demanding chemical processes.
Maximum performance with different viscosities: Be it highly viscous fluids, solvents or reactive monomers, our pumps are optimally designed for the specific requirements of each process.
Long service life and low operating costs: Robust materials and sophisticated designs ensure a long service life and reduce operating costs.

Querschnitt der Magnochem W mit farblich dargestelltem Temperaturverlauf im Inneren der Pumpe. — Cross-section of the Magnochem W with colour-coded temperature curve inside the pump.

We close the chemical recycling loop

Thanks to decades of experience in the chemical industry, we not only offer first-class products but also tailored solutions for the complex requirements of chemical recycling. As a full-range supplier, we are able to equip entire plants with pumps, valves and automation products. We create sustainable and efficient processes for the circular economy of the future together with our customers.

One example of this is Magnochem W with integrated heat barrier which is ideal for the seal-less pumping of high-temperature fluids and perfectly designed for demanding applications where safety and reliability are paramount.

Our products for chemical recycling

Magnochem

Documents

Horizontal seal-less volute casing pump in back pull-out design, with magnetic drive, to DIN EN ISO 2858 / ISO 5199, with radial impeller, single-entry, single-stage. ATEX-compliant version available.

Details

HPK-L

Documents

Horizontal radially split volute casing pump in back pull-out design to ISO 2858 / ISO 5199, single-stage, single-entry, with radial impeller. Equipped with heat barrier, seal chamber air-cooled by integrated fan impeller, no external cooling. ATEX-compliant version available.

Details

MegaCPK

Documents

Horizontal radially split volute casing pump in back pull-out design, with radial impeller, single-entry, single-stage, to DIN EN ISO 5199, dimensions to DIN EN ISO 2858, complemented by nominal diameters DN25 and ≥DN200, in large range of material and seal variants; also available as a variant with "wet" shaft and conical seal chamber. ATEX-compliant version available.

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KWP

Documents

Horizontal radially split volute casing pump in back pull-out design, single-stage, single-entry, available with various impeller types: closed multi-channel impeller, open multi-vane impeller and vortex impeller. ATEX-compliant version available.

Details

SISTO-20

Documents

Weir-type diaphragm valve to DIN/EN with flanged ends, threaded socket ends or socket weld ends, in straight-way pattern; shut-off and sealing to atmosphere by supported and confined diaphragm; body with coating or lining, position indicator with integrated stem protection. All moving parts are separated from the fluid by the diaphragm. Maintenance-free.

Details

DANAÏS 150

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Double-offset butterfly valve with ISO 5211 compliant square shaft end, with plastomer seat (also in fire-safe design), metal seat or elastomer seat (FKM [VITON R] or NBR [nitrile]). Lever or manual gearbox, pneumatic, electric or hydraulic actuator. Body made of nodular cast iron, cast steel, stainless steel or duplex stainless steel (254 SMO). Wafer-type body (T1), full-lug body (T4), T4 suitable for downstream dismantling and dead-end service with counterflange. Connections to EN, ASME or JIS. Fire-safe design tested and certified to API 607. Fugitive emissions performance tested and certified to EN ISO 15848-1. ATEX-compliant version in accordance with Directive 2014/34/EU.

Details

KE

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Centred-disc butterfly valve with ISO 5211 compliant square shaft end and PFA liner. With lever, manual gearbox, pneumatic or electric actuator. With wafer-type body (T1), full-lug body (T4) or U-section body with raised faces (T6). EN, ASME, JIS connections possible.

Details

Illustration of the phases of a product life cycle: Consultation and analysis, commissioning, operation and repair

Our services for chemical recycling

Whether conversion, depolymerisation or dissolution, it takes more than just excellent products to successfully operate your plant or system. With KSB SupremeServ, we support you throughout the entire product life cycle – from commissioning to continuous monitoring and repair. Benefit from the expertise of more than 3500 service specialists in over 190 service centres worldwide.

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Extremely reliable. Highly versatile.

KSB offers robust, low-maintenance pump and valve solutions that reliably withstand aggressive, corrosive or explosive media and thus ensure maximum safety in chemical recycling or classic chemical production processes. Flexible applications, efficient operation and precisely tailored to your processes.

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