Recycling Incinerated Waste Plastic... Used as Petrochemical Raw Material
Lotte Chemical announced on the 28th that it has succeeded in the commercial production of petrochemical products using pyrolysis naphtha derived from waste plastic, the first achievement of its kind in the domestic industry. Waste plastic, pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis naphtha, polycarbonate products.
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] Lotte Chemical announced on the 28th that it is the first in the domestic industry to commercially produce petrochemical products using naphtha derived from pyrolysis oil made from waste plastic.
The product produced this time is polycarbonate, a high value-added synthetic resin that is impact-resistant, has high heat resistance and transparency, and is applied to electrical, electronic, home appliances, and automobile headlamps.
Waste plastic pyrolysis oil is oil obtained by heating discarded plastics such as vinyl at high temperatures. After undergoing a post-processing step to remove impurities, it can be recycled into naphtha, diesel, and other products. When the naphtha obtained through this process is fed into petrochemical processes, plastic raw materials can be produced.
This technology is attracting attention as a core technology for establishing a plastic circular economy, as it allows waste plastics that were previously incinerated to be recycled and used as raw materials for petrochemical products.
In August, Lotte Chemical received waste plastic pyrolysis naphtha from Hyundai Oilbank and fed it into the naphtha cracking center (NCC) facility at its Yeosu plant. The produced products are scheduled to be supplied to customers at the end of this month along with an eco-friendly certification (ISCC PLUS).
The ISCC PLUS certification is a system that internationally certifies that eco-friendly raw materials were used throughout the entire product production process, based on the European Union (EU)'s renewable energy policy standards.
Hwang Jin-gu, head of Lotte Chemical's Basic Materials Business, said, "We will expand the chemical recycling business, including the production of products based on waste plastic pyrolysis naphtha, and proactively build a resource circulation ecosystem." He added, "We will expand our eco-friendly and carbon reduction product lineup to meet the demands of global customers and contribute to enhancing ESG (environment, social, and governance) competitiveness."
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