German carmaker Audi and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) are launching a pilot project on chemical recycling of plastic auto parts and components. The compound used in auto parts and components is usually a mix of more than two types of plastic or other material to achieve characteristics that are suitable for intensive wear and able to meet safety, heat resistance, and quality requirements. In most cases, such plastics are not recyclable.
Therefore, Audi-KIT partnership aims at returning such mixed plastic fractions to the circular system. The Chemical Recycling of Plastics in Automotive Engineering pilot project is part of the “Industrial Resource Strategies” THINKTANK that focuses on a holistic view of raw material loops. Until now, chemical recycling is the only method that can convert such mixed plastic waste into products with equal quality to petroleum-based ones.
Audi provides post-consumer plastic auto parts and components which are then processed into pyrolysis oil through chemical recycling. The oil has comparable quality to petroleum products. It can be used to produce high-grade materials that will be used again in automobiles. Audi intends to gradually increase the content of recycled materials in its models. For instance, it utilizes recycled PET in the Audi A3. Up to 89% of textile seat covers in this model are available with recycled material content. Audi aims at using recycled material for the entire seat covers of this model.
