When pyrolyzing acrylic resin and regenerating it as MMA monomer, it is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% over the course of a product's entire product life cycle when compared to conventional virgin acrylic resins.

A pilot facility for the chemical recycling of acrylic resin (PMMA; poly-methyl-methacrylate) is being planned by Sumitomo Chemical to be built at its Ehime Works in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, according to the company. Beginning in the fall of 2022, the new facility is expected to begin pilot testing and to begin providing samples in the spring of 2023.

Parallel to this polycarbonate vs acrylic project, the company will work on developing a PMMA recycling system, which will include everything from the collection of scrap acrylic resin to recycling and reprocessing into products, with the goal of achieving early commercialization of chemically recycled PMMA in the near future.

Acrylic resins are transparent, weatherable, and simple to process, and they are used in a variety of applications, including automotive tail lamp covers, electrical appliances, aquariums, outdoor signboards, liquid crystal displays, building materials, and protective partition panels to reduce droplet spread. In 2020, the global demand for acrylic resins exceeded 1.3 million tonnes, and it is expected to continue to grow steadily in the years ahead.

Sumitomo Chemical is developing various chemical recycling technologies in-house, as well as collaborating with other companies and academic institutions, in response to growing environmental awareness. Specifically, the company has collaborated with Japan Steel Works Ltd. (JSW) on the development of acrylic resin, combining JSW's continuous plastic decomposition technology utilizing twin-screw extruders with Sumitomo Chemical's expertise in MMA (methyl methacrylate) monomers and acrylic resins.

Sumitomo Chemical has decided to build a pilot facility to test its own basic technology for pyrolyzing acrylic resin and regenerating it as MMA monomer, which was successfully developed by the company. It is anticipated that the acrylic resin produced by re-polymerizing MMA monomer obtained by this technology will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% over the course of the product life cycle when compared to virgin materials produced from fossil resources, while maintaining the same level of basic properties polycarbonate versus acrylic, such as transparency and strength.

Polycarbonate vs. acrylic: which is better?

In this pilot test, the scrap acrylic resin will be sourced from Nippura Co. Ltd., which is the world's leading manufacturer of large acrylic panels for aquariums and will be used as a raw material in the pilot test. Sumitomo Chemical will begin investigating the development of a stable raw material procurement system, which will include the collection of used difference between acrylic and polycarbonate resin from scrapped automobiles, electrical appliances, and protective partition panels, in order to commercialize chemically recycled PMMA. In fields and products where the value of recycled materials is recognized, such as automobiles, where environmental regulations are tightening, and road sound barriers for public highways, it is anticipated that the recycled MMA monomer and the acrylic resin derived from it will find application.