Axens and Sumitomo Chemical Achieve Historical Landmark with the First Waste-based Polyolefin Production
Plastic Recycling
Bio Olefins
+ 2
Atol®
DiscoverThis project promotes circular economy making it possible to turn waste into polyolefin, a key product in the petrochemical industry. With this first trial production, the project has entered into a new phase to corroborate the quality of the product on the laboratory basis until mid-2022 toward the next step, which will be the start-up of a pilot plant, currently under construction in Japan.
At full roll-out, the project will enable the production of waste-based polyolefin at industrial scale, which will represent a leapfrog towards a sustainable economy based on renewable carbon.
We are excited to work with Sumitomo Chemical in this project that tackles the problem of waste plastics in Japan. Since the beginning of the project back in 2020, we have been seamlessly working with Sumitomo Chemical and this amazing teamwork has made it possible to keep project on track. This project paves the way towards plastics sustainability, accelerates the deployment of circular economy in Japan and reduces substantially the GHG emissions of the value chain.
About Atol®
Atol® is a technology for the most profitable production of polymer grade ethylene by dehydration of any kind of renewable ethanol from biomass or waste.
The ethylene produced can be integrated in partial and/or total replacement of fossil hydrocarbon based ethylene in various downstream polymerization installations without requiring modifications. Atol® ethylene can therefore be fed into existing or new units of, for instance, polyethylene (PE), ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol (polyethylene-terephthalate - PET), polyolefins, alpha-olefins production for linear alkylbenzene (LABs) and polyalphaolefins (PAOs), benzene alkylation for polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene (ABS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), etc.
Atol® is the result of a partnership between Axens, Total and IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN).
About Sumitomo Chemical
SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED is a Japan-based company engaged in the comprehensive chemical business. The Company operates in Petrochemicals & Plastics Sector, Energy & Functional Materials Sector, IT-related Chemicals Sector, Health & Crop Sciences Sector, Pharmaceuticals Sector and Others. To promote chemical recycling, Sumitomo Chemical is accelerating the development of solutions, including carbon recycling technologies to address the waste plastics issue, and greenhouse gas emission reduction technologies. Sumitomo Chemical aims to create a new value chain contributing to a circular economy.
About Axens
Axens is a group providing a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates, the chemical recycling of plastics and all natural gas treatment and conversion options. The offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services. Axens is ideally positioned to cover the entire value chain, from feasibility study to unit start-up and follow-up throughout the entire unit cycle life. This unique position ensures the highest level of performance with a reduced environmental footprint. Axens global offer is based on highly trained human resources, modern production facilities and an extended global network for industrial, technical supports & commercial services. Axens is an IFP Group company.
Press Contact:
Emmanuelle HUTIN
Head of Axens Group Communications
press@axens.net