Toray Develops Recycling Technology for PA66 Using Subcritical Hydrolysis

Toray Industries, Inc. has announced a significant breakthrough in the field of nylon 66 recycling. The company recently succeeded in applying a proprietary depolymerization technology that uses subcritical water to uniformly and efficiently depolymerize nylon 66 resin into its original monomer materials within just a few minutes.

Image source: Toray

Halving CO2 Emissions, Achieving Nylon 66 Regeneration

It is estimated that the annual demand for nylon 66 in Japan is about 100,000 tons, while global demand reaches 1.3 million tons. Due to its excellent heat resistance and high strength, nylon 66 is crucial in the automotive and industrial sectors. Products such as airbags, tire cord, and plastic parts like radiator tanks, cylinder head covers, and oil pans all rely on nylon 66. With increasing regulatory requirements for the recycling of automobiles and other plastic products in Japan, the recycling of used nylon 66 material from airbags has become mandatory, making nylon 66 a highly promising material in the field of chemical recycling.

Currently, demonstration work for the chemical recycling of nylon 6, primarily aimed at recovering caprolactam monomers, is already underway. The chemical recycling process for nylon 66, however, requires the recovery of both hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid monomers. Leveraging its expertise in the chemical recycling of nylon 6, Toray evaluated the depolymerization reaction of nylon 66 in subcritical water.

Toray has developed a proprietary technology that effectively suppresses side reactions, enabling the efficient recovery of both monomers and the successful regeneration of nylon 66 through repolymerization. Using Toray's technology to produce nylon 66 can reduce CO2 emissions by half compared to conventional petroleum-based production methods.

Automotive Materials as Initial Target

Toray plans to initially target automotive materials, focusing on developing technologies to separate other materials from used automotive airbags and other equipment, as well as technologies for the depolymerization, separation, and purification of nylon 66. By 2025, the company intends to establish a framework for verifying product quality and assessing customer needs through sample processing. As stricter plastic recycling regulations are expected around 2030, Toray will prepare for full-scale mass production.

In addition, Toray will develop comprehensive recycling technologies for both nylon 6 and nylon 66. The company plans to expand its chemical recycling technologies from clothing and automotive materials to other industrial applications, contributing to the development of a circular economy and the achievement of carbon neutrality goals.

One of the goals of Toray Group's "Sustainability Vision 2050" is to promote sustainable resource management worldwide. Toray will continue its R&D efforts to realize a sustainable and circular society, embodying the corporate philosophy of "creating new value for society through innovative ideas, technologies, and products."

 

Editor: Lily

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