In a context of increasing regulatory pressure and the transition towards a circular economy, the recycling of polyurethane (PU) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams has become a major challenge for many industrial sectors, including construction, transportation and household appliances. As these materials are difficult to recycle through conventional mechanical routes, alternative approaches are required to enable their reintegration into circular value chains.

Materia Nova has developed an innovative chemical recycling technology based on a continuous, solvent-free process, currently at pilot scale (TRL 5). This technology is the subject of a patent application filed in 2024.

Technical features

The process developed by Materia Nova enables:

  • Single-step depolymerization in just a few minutes,
  • The production of high-quality recycled polyols,
  • Homogeneous molecular weight distribution of the recovered products,
  • Direct reuse in new foam formulations,
  • Improved energy efficiency compared with conventional recycling methods.

These results open up concrete opportunities for closed-loop recycling of PU and PIR foams, while providing precise control over the physico-chemical properties of the recycled polyols obtained.

Results and industrial validation

The process is being developed by Materia Nova in collaboration with several industrial partners and has benefited from the support of various research and innovation programmes, including UP-Plastics and CIRCOPLAST. Several companies have already tested the technology on their own waste streams, enabling the incorporation of 20 to 30% recycled polyols into new foam formulations. Ongoing work aims to tailor the characteristics of the recycled polyols to the specific requirements of targeted industrial applications.

To learn more about the technology, the results achieved at pilot scale and future development perspectives, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Challenges and outlook

This technology contributes to European objectives for material circularity and the reduction of complex plastic waste. Materia Nova continues to optimize the process together with industrial and academic partners and supports companies wishing to assess the recycling potential of their own PU/PIR waste streams or develop new formulations incorporating recycled polyols.

Videos

Watch the videos:

Reactive extrusion process – Video 1 | Reactive extrusion process – Video 2

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