Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) announced a customer sampling initiative in Europe to support its development of circular solutions for PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate).

MCG had previously run molecular recycling trials to prove that waste PMMA could be successfully returned to its original molecule of MMA (methyl methacrylate).

These trials produced an unrefined MMA which had yet to be purified, so contained various contaminants. MCG has since developed its own purification process and has successfully turned the unrefined MMA into circular MMA (cMMA) with a very high level of purity.

Craig Mason, MMA European Commercial Director MCG explains the rationale. “Our objective has always been to produce a circular material that is as pure as fossil-based MMA and after a significant amount of work we managed to achieve this. Many of our customers’ production processes are highly sensitive, so it is important that we can offer them circular products that are equivalent to the current fossil-based ones.

At this stage we will be sampling cMMA and in due course circular PMMA and circular acrylic resins. With limited quantities of finished product available, this will initially be offered to a small number of existing customers. Moving forward, we intend to widen this engagement to fully establish the value that we believe these products can bring to the market.