Basf’s pa6 recycling pilot technology recognized at fakuma innovation award

With these two complementary advanced recycling methods, BASF and the consortium are investigating how different automotive waste streams can be handled in the future. The pilot project aims to demonstrate that it is technically feasible to recover high-quality PA6 from end-of-life vehicles and reuse it in demanding engineering applications.

If successfully developed and scaled up to industrial operations, these processes could help meet the future requirements of the European End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR). This regulation is driving greater use of recycled materials in vehicles.

Depolymerization: From end-of-life components back to monomers

In the depolymerization pilot, used PA6 components are chemically broken down into their original monomer, caprolactam. These include heavily contaminated transmission oil pans from end-of-life vehicles. After purification and repolymerization, the material is converted into PA6 with properties comparable to those of virgin material.

Together with ZF, BASF processed the resulting glass-fiber-reinforced PA6 compound into a stabilizer for Mercedes-Benz. Under application conditions, the component met all mechanical requirements and exhibited processing behavior comparable to that of virgin material. According to BASF, these results confirm that the approach is technically feasible. Further work is needed to determine its viability on an industrial scale.

Solvent recovery from complex waste streams

Solvent-based recovery was demonstrated at pilot scale using complex waste fractions such as automotive shredder residue (ASR). In this process, PA6 and PA66 were separated from the mixed shredder material and washed, and PA6 was selectively recovered through solvent extraction.

Together with Pöppelmann K-TECH, BASF processed the resulting recyclate into chain guides for Mercedes-Benz. This is a highly stressed engine component with demanding requirements for wear resistance, temperature resistance, and media resistance. The results demonstrate that this approach makes it technically feasible to recover high-quality engineering plastics from complex waste streams that were previously difficult to recycle. Further development and scale-up are needed to assess the potential for industrial implementation. This work may ultimately be carried out by other market players rather than BASF.

Two award-winning pilot projects demonstrate the technical potential of closed PA6 loops in two areas:

Using waste streams that were previously difficult or impossible to recycle

Incorporating recycled materials into high-stress automotive components

Initial life cycle analyses at the pilot project level also indicate that the product carbon footprint (PCF) could be significantly reduced compared to virgin materials. According to BASF, these findings are promising but have not yet demonstrated performance at industrial scale.

“Securing second place in the 2026 Fakuma Innovation Award and winning the 2026 MATERIATICA Award confirm the potential of our advanced recycling technology. Together with our partners, we have demonstrated at pilot scale that PA6 from end-of-life vehicles can be recycled and used in demanding automotive components.Oliver Geiger, Senior Manager of Sustainable Performance Materials at BASF, said: ""This is an important proof of the technical feasibility on the path toward a true circular economy."

Collaboration across the automotive value chain

According to BASF, turning end-of-life vehicles into a source of high-quality materials requires more than just technology. It also demands a coordinated approach and close collaboration across the entire value chain. BASF, Mercedes-Benz, ZF, and Pöppelmann K-TECH collaborated to produce genuine automotive parts from recycled PA6 sourced from end-of-life vehicles, validating them under pilot conditions. This collaboration lays the groundwork for the further technical, economic, and operational efforts required before any industrial-scale implementation.

Image source: BASF