Mitsui Chemicals to become the first company in Japan to manufacture chemically recycled plastics

Mitsui Chemicals announced plans to become the first company in Japan to begin manufacturing chemical products and plastics derived from chemical recycling based on the mass balance approach.

In the plan, CFP Corp. will supply pyrolysis oil produced from plastic waste, which Mitsui Chemicals expects to use as a feedstock for the cracker at the Osaka Works in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023.

According to the Japanese chemicals manufacturer, as with bio-based hydrocarbon derivatives, the chemical and plastic derivatives from the recycling process will be supplied using the mass balance approach.

This latest initiative forms part of Mitsui Chemicals’ RePLAYER concept under which wasted plastic is regarded as a resource to be reused through recycling. The RePLAYER brand was set up to promote group-wide solutions throughout the value chain that will contribute to delivering a circular economy.

Diagram illustrating the flow of cracker-related processes.

Identical properties

Just like petroleum naphtha and bio-based hydrocarbons, pyrolysis oil from plastic waste is a hydrocarbon oil, which can be used as a cracker feedstock to manufacture the basic chemical materials ethylene, propylene, C4 and C5 fractions, and benzene.

As these same basic materials are then used to manufacture phenols, other basic chemicals, and polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, the physical properties of the chemical and polymer derivatives are identical to those of more conventional products made from virgin materials.

Mass balance approach

During the process of turning raw materials into final products, bio-based and recycled materials are mixed with petroleum-based raw materials. The properties are assigned to a portion of the product according to the amount of input of the raw materials according to the mass balance approach.

Diagram illustrating the mass balance approach.

Mitsui Chemicals believes the mass balance approach will play an important role in the creation of a society based on biomass and recycling.