US Agilyx and AmSty mull another PS chem recycling project

HOUSTON (ICIS)–US chemical recycler Agilyx and polystyrene (PS) and styrene monomer (SM) producer AmSty are considering a 50-100 tonne/day PS chemical recycling project at AmSty’s SM production site in St James, Louisiana.

The companies already have a PS chemical recycling facility in Oregon, and the new, much larger project in St James would build on the Oregon venture, they said in a joint statement on Thursday.

A feasibility study for the new project was under way, with a timeline for construction and commissioning to be announced as progress continues, they said.

The facility would be a next-generation expansion of Agilyx’s advanced recycling technology in use at the Regenyx joint venture between Agilyx and AmSty in Tigard, Oregon, where post-use PS products are converted back into virgin-equivalent styrene monomer, they said.

Feedstock for the new project would be accessed via Cyclyx, Agilyx’s feedstock management company.

“Polystyrene is an ideal material for the future of recycling,” said Randy Pogue, president, and CEO of AmSty.

PS was particularly advantageous for advanced recycling because it can be “unzipped” back to its original liquid form, SM, using 40% less energy than other polymers, Pogue said.

Please click here to see the impact of packaging on the petrochemical industry on the ICIS Packaging Topic Page