BASF, in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, Pöppelmann, and ZF, has developed two innovative recycling methods for Polyamide 6, utilizing recyclates sourced from end-of-life vehicle components.

Source: All-About-Industries

At the K 2025 trade fair, BASF showcased these new recycling techniques for Polyamide 6, created in partnership with Mercedes-Benz and suppliers Pöppelmann and ZF.

Chemical Recycling Process

In a pilot project, a chemical process was devised to recycle technical plastics through depolymerization. This method involves breaking down long polyamide chains at their inherent predetermined breaking points. The resulting purified monomers, known as caprolactam, are then re-synthesized into polyamide (PA6). After being processed into a polyamide compound, the material meets necessary quality standards, making it suitable for high-demand components in the automotive sector, according to BASF.

ZF has utilized this material to manufacture a chassis component, specifically the stabilizer link, for Mercedes-Benz.

Solvent-Based Recycling Process

The second process focuses on utilizing shredder residues from end-of-life vehicles, which consist of a mixture of various materials after the removal of glass and metals. BASF has successfully extracted polyamide (PA6) from these residues.

This extracted polyamide fraction serves as the foundation for a new solvent-based recycling method within the pilot project. Unlike the previous method, this process selectively dissolves the polymer chains using a suitable solvent, cleans them, and ultimately reprocesses them into usable PA6 compounds.

Mercedes-Benz has validated this technology by using a chain guide rail in series production. Components were manufactured by Pöppelmann under near-series conditions as part of the pilot project and passed testing successfully.

Environmental Impact

BASF has commissioned life cycle analyses from an external company alongside these pilot projects. The findings indicate significant CO2 emission savings for both new recycling processes, especially when compared to the use of fossil raw materials for producing comparable polyamide compounds and traditional plastic recycling methods, such as thermal recovery.