IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,617,921
Granted Patent B2
US 12,617,921 · App. 17/996,003 · Granted May 5, 2026

Chemical recycling of reclaimer flake reject

Inventors: Bruce Roger DeBruin (Gray, TN); Michael Paul Ekart (Kingsport, TN); Anne-Martine Sherbeck Jackson (Jonesborough, TN); Nathan Mitchell West (Kingsport, TN); Zhufang Liu (Kingsport, TN)
Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
C08J11/16C08J2327/06C08J2367/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,617,921
App. No.
17/996,003
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of recycling plastic waste by feeding a quantity of PET and PVC-containing reclaimer flake reject separated from the plastic waste to a chemical recycling facility; and depolymerizing in said chemical recycling facility at least a portion of said PET- and PVC-containing reclaimer flake reject which further comprises feeding at least a portion of the flake reject into at least one density separation stage before depolymerizing, in which a PET-enriched stream and a polyolefins-enriched stream are produced from a waste plastic stream comprising the flake reject; wherein the flake reject comprises at least 1 weight percent of PVC on a dry basis, and wherein the flake reject comprises at least 0.1 weight percent and/or not more than 20 weight percent polyolefins on a dry basis, wherein the flake reject is fed directly into a solvolysis facility within the chemical recycling facility and the solvolysis facility is a methanolysis facility.

Claims (12)

1 . A method of recycling a plastic waste comprising:

(a) feeding a quantity of PET and PVC-containing reclaimer flake reject separated from said plastic waste to a chemical recycling facility; and

(b) depolymerizing in said chemical recycling facility at least a portion of said PET- and PVC-containing reclaimer flake reject

further comprising feeding at least a portion of said flake reject into at least one density separation stage before said depolymerizing (b), in which a PET-enriched stream and a polyolefins-enriched stream are produced from a waste plastic stream comprising said flake reject; wherein said flake reject comprises at least 1 weight percent of PVC on a dry basis, and wherein said flake reject comprises at least 0.1 weight percent and/or not more than 20 weight percent polyolefins on a dry basis, wherein said flake reject is fed directly into a solvolysis facility within said chemical recycling facility and the solvolysis facility is a methanolysis facility.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said flake reject comprises at least 0.1 weight percent PET on a dry basis.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising feeding at least a portion of said PET-enriched stream into a solvolysis facility.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising feeding at least a portion of said polyolefins-enriched stream into a partial oxidation (POX) gasifier.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising feeding at least a portion of said polyolefins-enriched stream into a pyrolysis facility.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising feeding at least a portion of said polyolefins-enriched stream into an energy recovery facility.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising feeding at least a portion of said flake reject into a mechanical dewatering apparatus before said depolymerizing (b).

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said flake reject is fed into a thermal dryer after said mechanical dewatering apparatus.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a caustic component or caustic solution is introduced along with said flake reject to a dissolver and/or a solvolysis reactor within said solvolysis facility.

Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63008920 · Apr 13, 2020
Related Publication 20230183441A1 · Jun 15, 2023
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