PTFE Depolymerisation (500 t/a)
From engineering to industrial implementation
Perfluorinated polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) exhibit exceptional chemical inertness and thermal resilience, making them indispensable across critical industries but notoriously difficult to recycle. Traditionally, end-of-life fluoropolymers were landfilled or incinerated, while virgin monomers required an energy-intensive synthesis starting from chlorodifluoromethane (R22) that generated significant volumes of problematic chlorinated byproducts. In collaboration with the University of Bayreuth and 3M/Dyneon (supported by the German Federal Environmental Foundation, DBU), InVerTec pioneered an industrial chemical recycling technology that recovers high-purity monomers directly from fluoropolymer waste, closing the materials loop for fluorine-based polymers for the first time.
Process Principle & Fluidized Bed Technology
The core of the process relies on high-temperature thermal depolymerization conducted within an engineered Fluidized Bed Reactor (FBR):
- Homogeneous Bed Fluidization: Solid PTFE scrap and fluoropolymer granulates are continuously fed into a heated fluidized bed, where intensive solid-gas contact ensures rapid, isothermal energy transfer across every particle.
- Controlled Chain Scission: Precise residence time and thermal control crack the polymer chains without excessive secondary degradation, achieving monomer recovery yields exceeding 90%.
- High-Value Monomer Recovery: The cracked gas stream is fractionated and purified into virgin-grade tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP), which serve as direct drop-in feedstocks for the synthesis of next-generation, high-performance fluoropolymers.
Industrial Scale-Up & Engineering Track Record
InVerTec translates this proprietary recycling concept into fully operational, commercial-scale chemical plants (TRL 8):
- Gendorf Demonstration Plant (2015): Realization of the world’s first industrial fluoropolymer upcycling facility at the Gendorf Chemical Park (Germany) with an operational capacity of 500 tonnes per year. InVerTec developed the process route, executed the complete Basic Engineering package, generated process simulations and mass/energy balances, and provided ongoing consulting through the Detailed Engineering phase.
- Global Technology Transfer (2025): Building on this operational foundation, InVerTec engineered and commissioned an advanced 500 t/a PTFE depolymerization plant for the Asian market in partnership with Element9 GmbH. The scope encompassed complete flowsheet definition, dynamic process simulation, heat and mass integration, and detailed engineering design.
