Sealing expertise for the circular plastics economy

Circular economy, the key to resource conservation and climate protection

In today's world, plastic is used almost every­where. Hardly any other material has so many useful prop­er­ties, e.g. in terms of hygiene, dura­bil­ity, weight and mold­abil­ity. Global demand for plastics is there­fore expected to double in the next 20 years – and so will the amount of waste. However, plastics are still largely derived from fossil fuels and their pro­duc­tion is energy in­ten­sive. This poses major chal­lenges for com­pa­nies that produce and use plastics, as re­sources are finite and de­car­boniza­tion of the economy is urgently needed.

The industry tran­si­tion to a sus­tain­able circular economy is crucial to coun­ter­act the unchecked con­sump­tion of raw ma­te­ri­als, combat global warming and enable further growth. But the trans­for­ma­tion will also bring major changes in the way we produce and recycle plastics and products in the future.

EagleBurgmann, reliable partner to the plastics and chemicals industry

EagleBurgmann is one of the world's leading man­u­fac­tur­ers of in­dus­trial sealing tech­nol­ogy and a reliable supplier to the plastics and chemical in­dus­tries. As a solution partner for our cus­tomers, we actively ac­com­pany current de­vel­op­ments and jointly develop seals and systems for the safe and ef­fi­cient op­er­a­tion of machines and plants.

Driving innovations together

In the circular economy, there are a mul­ti­tude of processes when it comes to pro­duc­ing or re­cy­cling plastics. They all have one thing in common: the sealing tech­nol­ogy in the machines and systems has a decisive effect on their op­er­a­tional re­li­a­bil­ity, economic ef­fi­ciency, and service life.

With EagleBurgmann you have a global partner who will provide you with com­pre­hen­sive support for the optimum design, supply, and main­te­nance of your specific sealing solution. Whether it is chemical plastics re­cy­cling, ap­pli­ca­tions for the pro­duc­tion of bio­plas­tics, the re­cy­cling of rubber and used tires, or new tech­nolo­gies in the circular economy.

Chemical plastics recycling

Chemical plastics recycling is a pioneering process in the circular economy that is becoming increasingly important. It is used when mechanical recycling is not possible due to impurities, or the waste cannot be sorted. The goal is thus to return much more plastic waste to the material cycle than today.

In this recycling process, the chemical structure of the used plastic is broken down into its building blocks. The recycled polymer feedstock can then be fed to naphtha or steam crackers which convert it to monomers from which new plastics, chemicals or fuels are made.

Chemical Recycling Processes

Chemical Recycling Processes

Feedstock recycling

• Py­rol­y­sis 
  Plastic waste is broken down into a range of basic hydrocarbons by thermal cracking. The hydrocarbon vapor can then be converted by distillation into products such as heavy waxes and oils, light oils, and gas.

• Gasi­fi­ca­tion
  Mixed waste ma­te­ri­als are heated to a high tem­per­a­ture (approx. 1,000 - 1,500 °C) in the presence of a limited amount of oxygen. This process breaks down the mol­e­cules into their com­po­nents and syngas is produced. The syngas can be used to produce methanol, ammonia, hy­dro­car­bons, and acetic acid for plastics pro­duc­tion, as well as fuel and fer­til­izer.

• Hy­drother­mal treat­ment
  In hy­drol­y­sis, polymers are broken down into short-chain hy­dro­car­bons by reaction with water.

Depolymerization

This is the reverse of poly­mer­iza­tion and yields to either sin­gle-monomers mol­e­cules or shorter polymer frag­ments called oligomers.

Purification

Here, the plastic is dis­solved in a suitable solvent, and the polymer is then sep­a­rated from ad­di­tives and im­pu­ri­ties. The dis­solved polymer can then be se­lec­tively crys­tal­lized, which is a new tech­nol­ogy.

Meeting technical challenges with the right sealing technology

The op­er­at­ing con­di­tions typical for chemical re­cy­cling processes can be chal­leng­ing for the tech­nol­ogy used. For example, very high tem­per­a­tures prevail during py­rol­y­sis making it dif­fi­cult cooling down the barrier fluid in the pump seals. EagleBurgmann helps pump man­u­fac­tur­ers and end users to solve dif­fi­cult tech­ni­cal tasks like these.

For example, we offer cus­tomized sealing so­lu­tions with air coolers when there is no cooling water supply on site. The seals are spe­cially designed to prevent crys­tal­liza­tion of the process fluid – a common problem in such pump ap­pli­ca­tions.

Biobased plastics

Biobased plastic includes a group of plastics made from renewable, sustainable, or biodegradable sources such as sugar- or starch-containing plant materials, vegetable oils or algae. Not all of these bioplastics are thus biodegradable, but they do open up the opportunity to minimize the use of crude oil.

One innovative feedstock, for example, is polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is based on biodegradable raw materials such as corn starch and lactic acid. The material offers similar properties to fossil-based plastics, which makes it a "plastic alternative" for many applications.

In principle, the production of bioplastics is less energy-intensive than that of conventional plastics. Bioplastics therefore have a lower CO₂ footprint. However, the use of bioplastics as a substitute for fossil plastics is still in development, driven by legislation and market requirements.
 

Your sealing solutions specialists for the bioplastic production

EagleBurgmann project engineers have been sought-after experts in the construction of the first PLA plant of its kind in Thailand. You too can benefit from our comprehensive sealing expertise for your rotating machinery and equipment and our practical experience from this project.

Waste tire recycling

Landfilling of used tires is a serious environmental problem. Part of the risk lies in the chemical nature of the tires. The toxins released during decomposition or incineration can pollute soil, air, and water. Recycling waste tires helps to solve this problem, but also improves the carbon footprint of tire production.

The recycling of waste tires involves mechanical and chemical steps. First, the tires are shredded and then the rubber granulate is cleaned, sieved, and prepared for pyrolysis to produce liquid hydrocarbons.

One common product is fuel derived from recycled tires. This fuel is more energy efficient than normal fuel from coal and releases fewer harmful emissions. Another product is reclaimed carbon black (rCb), a sustainable alternative to virgin carbon black used as a black pigment and as filler in the rubber industry.

EagleBurgmann recognizes the importance of such an environmentally beneficial process and supports the recycling industry with a broad portfolio of first-class seals and systems for their rotating equipment.

Your expert partner in all aspects of industrial sealing technology

EagleBurgmann sees itself not only as a supplier, but also as a service provider and project partner. And this for com­pa­nies all over the world. Our prox­im­ity to our cus­tomers, our high level of in­no­va­tion and our wide range of ex­cel­lent sealing tech­nol­ogy for almost all in­dus­trial ap­pli­ca­tions and media, together with the ac­com­pa­ny­ing services, make us a partner of choice. No matter what your sealing tech­nol­ogy needs are – feel free to contact us.