Sumitomo Chemical is building a pilot facility for chemical recycling of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) at Niihama in Ehime prefecture, Japan.
The new facility is expected to begin pilot tests in the fall of 2022 and will start providing samples in 2023.
Plant capacity details were not disclosed.
The used acrylic resin to be used as a raw material in this pilot test will be sourced from Nippura Co, which produces large acrylic panels for aquariums.
Global demand for acrylic resins exceeded 1.3m tonnes last year and is expected to continue to grow steadily in the future, according to Sumitomo Chemical.
