02 Oct 26
Toray Industries said it has developed a solvent-based recycling technology that recovers PPS without depolymerising it into monomers. In its 30 September announcement, the company described the process as an industry first and said it selectively dissolves, crystallises and separates the polymer from glass fibre and other impurities.
Toray said the resulting recycled PPS retains the same molecular weight and melting point as virgin material. Its preliminary study indicates that the process may reduce cradle-to-gate greenhouse-gas emissions compared with its virgin PPS, although the company said this remains under verification through demonstration testing.
Having completed its study, Toray is conducting a scale-up demonstration through a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry project. Commercial supply is targeted for around 2030, alongside a collection-to-reuse system developed with automotive, recycling and other partners.
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