Recycled PMMA used for car door visors first ever
Mitsubishi Chemical and Honda have jointly developed polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, hereinafter “acrylic resin”) recycled material for the door visors of the new N-ONE e: mini-electric vehicle. This marks the first time that recycled acrylic resin has been used for door visors in the automotive industry
N-ONE e: door visors made from recycled acrylic resin.
The recycled acrylic resin is recovered and recycled using a unique recycling technology, which prevents foreign matter from being included in recovered acrylic resin, and that secures quality equivalent to virgin acrylic resin.
Acrylic resin can be converted back into its raw material, MMA, through thermal decomposition and therefore suitable for chemical recycling. However, acrylic resin recovered from end-of-life vehicles has been difficult to recycle into products due to its unstable quality and unsuitability for reuse.
Together with partners, Mitsubishi Chemical successfully developed the recycling technology that solve the problem. Since 2021, Mitsubishi Chemical has been conducting joint research with Microwave Chemical on microwave-based thermal decomposition recycling technology.
The company then conducted demonstration experiments aimed at practical recycling of acrylic resin together with Honda and Hokkaido Auto Dismantler.
