Mitsubishi Chemical starts verification testing for world’s first commercialization of PC resin chemical recycling

The Mitsubishi Chemical Group started verification testing of a scheme for collecting polycarbonate (PC) resin from headlamps of end-of-life vehicles with a view to the world’s first commercialization of PC resin chemical recycling.

The testing is also conducted in collaboration with Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance (TMNF) and ABT Corporation.

Headlamps collected from end-of-life vehicles.

New test bench facility for PC resin chemical recycling

Mitsubishi Chemical completed the construction of a test bench facility for demonstrating PC resin chemical recycling at its Kyushu Plant in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, in September 2023.

Chemical recycling test bench facility at Mitsubishi Chemical’s Kyushu Plant.

The company aims to establish chemical recycling technology for producing high-quality recycled PC resin and to build a recycling system for used PC resin. Its ultimate goal is to achieve the social implementation of a PC resin recycling system.

Verification testing on expanded scale

Since February 2023, Mitsubishi Chemical, TMNF and ABT Corporation collaborated to verify the processes of recovering acrylic resin from automotive tail lamps, making use of network from the two partners for the processing and disposal of end-of-life vehicles.

From January 2024, Mitsubishi Chemical and its partners start another verification testing in the Kanto region, for automotive headlamps, which are more difficult to recover than tail lamps.

Based on the verification results obtained from the testing, including results on operations, material quality and costs, the company will gradually expand locations in which verification testing is conducted throughout Japan.