Toray Industries, Inc., has developed a recycling technology for glass fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (PPS-GFRP). Specifically, the performance of the new recycling technology matches the initial performance of virgin resins. By increasing the recycling ratio of PPS GFRP, it will contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions.

PPS resin is an engineering plastic with excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance. More than 90% of PPS resin is glass fiber reinforced and applied for various types of industrial applications. Also, PPS resin has excellent insulation resistance. Electronic parts such as semiconductors and electric vehicle (EV) parts are their main application areas. Demand for PPS resin is expected to increase along with these applications and the need for PPS recycling reins.

Generally, the conventional process for recycling PPS-GFRP involves cutting short glass fibers and breaking them. However, this significantly decreases mechanical strength. To meet the performance requirements of resin-molded products, manufacturers apply them in applications with lower quality requirements. This makes it difficult to increase the recycling ratio of PPS resin.

This time, Toray developed pellets for recycling materials. Specifically, it leveraged proprietary compounding technology to blend PPS resin with special reinforcing fibers. Blending these pellets with recycled material makes it possible to maintain comparable performance with virgin material. Also, its application to the same uses is also possible, such as horizontal recycling.

Additionally, this technology can deliver comparable mechanical strength with injection-grade moldings wholly made with virgin material. This is possible even when recycled material accounts for 50% or more of the PPS-GFRP. Another benefit of the 50% recycled content is that it reduces CO₂ emission by at least 40%.

The company is working on technologies to broaden variations by designing different resins and additives in pellets for recycling materials. It is looking to supply recycled PPS-GFRP pellets after engineering optimal pellet blend ratios and formulations that meet customer demand requirements and by drawing on prediction technologies based on materials informatics.

Collaborating with several molding companies and other business partners, Toray has already embarked on closed recycling initiatives with its technology. One move has been to supply customers with recycled PPS-GFRP pellets blended with those for materials recycling based on process remnants from customer plants. The company is also conducting tests to verify horizontal recycling and prepare for commercialization with cooperation from customers.

Toray plans to seek more partners to create a recycling scheme and will foster use in open recycling for materials recovered from the marketplace. This way, it will help in realizing a sustainable economy. A first step will be to develop sample work, primarily for customers in Japan, thereafter, launching offerings under Ecouse, Toray’s integrated brand for recycled materials and products.

One goal of the Toray Group Sustainability Vision for 2050 is to contribute to a world in which resources are sustainably managed. The company will cater to customer demand for eco-friendly resins as part of ongoing efforts to realize its corporate philosophy of contributing to social progress by delivering new value while attaining sustainable growth.