AUTOMOTIVE | INNOVATION


ETH Zurich has shown in a new study that gasification of automotive shredder residue mixed with bio-waste saves greenhouse gas emissions if compared to incineration with energy recovery. At the same time a new, circular feedstock for the chemical industry is generated


together with BASF and Porsche, we have now used this gasification technology for the first time to convert complex plastic waste streams together with biomass into synthetic crude oil, known as syn- crude,” said Matthias Kuba, Area Manager Syngas Platform Technologies at BEST in Vienna.


IMAGE: BASF Instead of incinerating plastics and biomass


separately for energy recovery, co-gasification procures steam and synthesis gas, used as feed- stock for several chemicals. The results show so far that greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by more than 3 kg of CO2


their incineration for energy recovery. The volume potential for non-fossil feedstock


from automotive plastic waste is estimated at over a million tonnes currently. This is the fraction of automotive plastic waste being either incinerated or landfilled in Europe per year. And whereas the fraction that can be recovered through other mechanisms (such as mechanical recycling) increases, there will always remain a mixed plastic waste as residual. Another project gasification project involved the


cooperation between Porsche, BASF and the technology partner BEST – Bioenergy and Sustain- able Technologies. In this case, mixed ELV waste made of plastic, film, paint and foam residues was chemically recycled together with renewable raw materials. The resulting material – synthesis gas and its derivatives – was used as raw material in the manufacturing process of steering wheels. “We are testing new recycling technologies with


our direct partners in order to increase recyclate quotas, gain access to previously unusable recy- clate sources and evaluate new processes for waste streams that are currently being thermally utilized,” said Robert Kallenberg, Head of Sustainability at Porsche. The method is seen as a complementary alterna- tive to mechanical recycling, to enhance the quality of the material obtained. “In our plant, we have previously converted biomass such as wood or straw into chemical raw materials. In this pilot project,


12 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | May/June 2026 -equivalent¹, as compared to


Solvent-based recycling Audi has partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, among others, to recover high-purity PC/ABS from shredded automotive plastics on a pilot scale. Shredded automotive plastics are a mixture of polyolefin, PC/ABS, ABS, PC, ASA and polyamide. Through physical solvent-based recycling, the fraction of PC/ABS can be separated from PC and ABS, by being selectively dissolved in a special, non-hazardous, solvent formulation. This fraction is then purified and recovered as granules, obtaining a material with good mechanical and rheological properties. The undissolved components are mechanically removed, and contaminants are separated at the molecular level using special purification steps. After purification, molecular weight of the obtained polymer is claimed to be similar to that of the virgin material. The target material is recovered from the solvent by precipitation and dried. To improve the impact strength, the physically recovered PC/ABS regranulate is treated with specific additives and compounded with 50% pre-consumer regrind. Finally, decorative frames from the bumper area were tested. Dimensional stability, paint adhesion and odor criteria were met. A similar project, funded by the Volkswagen


foundation, is developing a solvent-based recy- cling process, which allows engineering plastics to be separated, purified and recovered from the plastic mixture in ELV waste. The recycled plastics are tailored as a compound with virgin material, to optimize the mechanical properties, the process- ability and to reduce the odour emissions. Spanish research centre Aimplas has launched


the H2


Odor project, focusing on PCR polyolefins for their use in vehicle interiors. By incorporating water-based decontamination and deodorization technologies, the objective is to significantly mini- mize the presence of volatile compounds inside the vehicle. “Our goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to manufacture high-quality recycled materials with low environmental impact and reduced odour that are competitive for use in vehicle interiors,” said Juan Alfonso Naranjo, Researcher in Sustainable and Future Mobility at Aimplas. H2


Odor involves the participation of Fych www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


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