Koch Technology Solutions, (KTS), a Koch Engineered Solutions company, and Ioniqa Technologies B.V. have announced a partnership to scale up and commercialize Ioniqa’s advanced polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling technology.
As part of this collaboration, KTS, Wichita, Kansas, has committed to investing up to 30 million pounds in Ioniqa, which is based in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Ioniqa has developed a process that uses low-grade postconsumer PET to produce a feedstock that displaces virgin raw materials used in the production of polyester products. Ioniqa has successfully demonstrated this technology in The Netherlands’ 10KTA production facility.
“After the scaling of our technology to a 10KTA depolymerization plant in The Netherlands, this KTS partnership is a major steppingstone for Ioniqa in commercializing its technology on a global level,” Ioniqa CEO and founder Tonnis Hooghoudt says. “Our expertise in breaking down plastic waste into virgin-like monomers matches seamlessly with KTS’ track record in designing and licensing PET production processes worldwide. We believe that together we can meet the strong market demand for recycled PET materials by jointly providing licenses and cleaning up the planet.”
The demand in the PET market currently runs at about 30 million metric tons per year.
On its website, Ioniqa says it upcycles “all sorts of PET, even colored PET.”
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The company, which received a loan from the Coca-Cola Co. in 2018, says recycling colored PET has not been possible until now, but the raw material produced by the company’s depolymerization process results in plastics suitable for food packaging and identical to those produced from oil.
During depolymerization, the plastic is submerged in a solution, such as water or glycol. The molecular structure of the polymer, which consists of identical units (the monomers), will then slowly start to dissolve. With the raw material that Ioniqa harvests, the company produces new, clear PET bottles that are food safe.
“KTS has a long history in the polyester industry, and we recognize the value proposition of this disruptive technology that will fundamentally change how recycling is done,” KTS President Adam Sackett says. “With an aligned vision on the future of PET recycling, we’re excited to launch this partnership with Ioniqa and leverage our complementary capabilities to advance solutions which are tailored to the needs of the market.”
KTS and Ioniqa’s partnership will address the growing demand for recycled content in the PET market and drive a circular process that addresses the environmental impacts of the current PET industry.
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