May 2, 2024
(press release)
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The European Commission recently named the MMAtwo project as Project of the Month for its development of depolymerization for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). MMAtwo is an industry consortium funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program that leveraged Trinseo’s recycling company, Heathland, as the coordinator. The goal of the consortium was to develop a new value chain for PMMA waste and a new technology process for recycling it into high-quality regenerated monomers. PMMA is often used as a glass substitute for a variety of applications, but only 10% of the material is recycled every year in Europe. Depolymerization, a type of chemical recycling, breaks down acrylic waste polymers into their monomer form to generate recycled methyl methacrylate (rMMA). The treatment developed by MMAtwo allows a mass yield of rMMA that achieves a virgin-like purity level. This innovative technology will improve how the industry can create a circular economy to recycle and reuse PMMA waste. The technology will be implemented at Trinseo’s Rho, Italy, facility once it opens in June. In 2023, the MMAtwo consortium received the “Innovation Team Best Practices 2023” Award from the Paris Club of Directors of Innovation; the European Institute for Creative Strategies and Innovation; the Sorbonne School of Economics, Sorbonne University; and the Entrepreneurship, Territory and Innovation Chair of the University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne. You can read more about the European Commission’s recognition of MMAtwo and its depolymerization results here.
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