PureStep™

PureStep integrates easily and effectively with your existing operation.

PureStep produces consistent quality naphtha throughout unlimited numbers of recycling loops.

Upcycle mixed plastic waste into naphtha pure enough for food- and medical-grade plastics.

PureStep™

Turn renewable-, tire-derived-, or plastic pyrolysis oil from mixed waste into on-spec naphtha ready for the production of premium, including food- and medical-grade, circular plastic.

Delivering what we do best

At Topsoe, we are global leaders in both hydroprocessing and catalysis. Having set ourselves the challenge of solving how to upcycle plastic waste, we came up with the PureStep™ process and a line of purpose developed catalysts. Applying our decades of experience in hydroprocessing and catalysis to a new and challenging feedstock has resulted in a groundbreaking technology that can decontaminate and refine pyrolysis oil from mixed waste into on-spec naphtha or heavier cut steam cracker feedstock. We already have two PureStep™ references running in Europe. Partnering with us, you get both the technology and practical knowledge you need to add mixed plastic waste recycling to your refinery’s product and revenue range.

Give low-grade waste a high-grade purpose

Where others see garbage, we see a resource. From landfills to mechanical recycling reject streams, we see opportunities for producing more sustainable plastic by upcycling plastic waste. With our PureStep™ technology you can decontaminate and transform your plastic pyrolysis oil directly into on-spec naphtha – a critical building block of plastic – pure enough to produce food- and medical-grade plastic from.

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Produce bio-naphtha with PureStep™

At Topsoe, we have been working with a vast number of new and challenging non-fossil feedstocks for close to three decades, starting with bio-based feedstocks. Learnings from this work are integrated into the PureStep™ process, making it ideal for producing bio-naphtha as well. With PureStep, you can upgrade bio-derived oils from oilseeds, forestry by-products, dedicated energy crops, used cooking oil, animal fats, and much more, into high-quality, on-spec bio-naphtha, drop-in ready for the steam cracker to produce bio-based plastics.

Expand your feedstock options to ensure smooth operations

PureStep integrates easily and effectively with your existing operation. This means you can quickly monetize pyrolysis oil instead of having to rely on conventional, carbon-heavy fossil feedstocks with their volatile pricing and fickle supply sources.

Circular quality: again, and again, and again.

PureStep produces consistent quality on-spec naphtha or heavier cut steam cracker feedstock throughout unlimited numbers of recycling loops. No matter how many times plastic has been recycled, PureStep™ technology purifies the feedstock to the same standard specified by you, so you can consistently meet steam cracker requirements.

Sound investment opportunity

Refineries can revamp their existing setups to accommodate PureStep™ and enjoy a fast ROI as hydroprocessing is a set of well-known unit operations which scale easily and benefit from the economy of scale. Petrochemical companies can use PureStep to stabilize their value chains and become resilient against fluctuating feedstock prices, as well as benefitting from co-location through utilities.

Don’t waste this opportunity to profit

With a clear legislative drive towards more sustainable products and packaging already established, this is an opportunity for your business to make an investment in an area where demand is set to grow. So, let’s turn the plastic waste problem into a business opportunity together!

Tire-derived oils – something to consider

The PureStep™ process is perfectly capable of decontaminating and refining tire-derived pyrolysis oil into naphtha for food- and medical grade plastics. But given the high aromatics content of tire-derived pyrolysis oils, you might want to consider whether it is best used for renewable fuels like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) instead. We’re always ready to help you decide what’s the most profitable avenue for your business.

The Purestep process

With PureStep™, the plastic upcycling process takes place via these steps:

Low-grade mixed waste is converted to a liquid via hydrothermal liquefaction or catalytic pyrolysis

The liquid is decontaminated and upgraded to on-spec naphtha or heavier cut steam cracker feedstock using TOPSOE™’s PureStep™ technology

The feedstock can be fed into a steam cracker to produce top quality, food- and medical-grade circular plastic products

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What makes the PureStep™ process unique?

In mechanical recycling, waste material passes through the following stages: sorting, washing and drying, chopping, grinding, and reprocessing. This process is rather straightforward, but the material quality deteriorates with each cycle and the recycled material can rarely be used in the same application as before.

With chemical recycling, plastic waste is turned back into its chemical building blocks. When using pyrolysis, the waste is turned into a naphtha-like feedstock, which can act as feedstock to produce new plastic. But pyrolysis is not able to remove all the impurities and contaminants that come with plastic through things like additives, adhesives, foaming agents, stabilizers, plasticizers, flame retardants, colorants, lubricants, and many others. This means the resulting naphtha-like product is limited in its usefulness because of its insufficient purity.

PureStep™ goes further and cleaner – from recycling to plastic upcycling. PureStep removes impurities and decontaminates pyrolysis oil from low-grade mixed waste - something that wasn’t possible before. Combining our knowledge of hydroprocessing with our expertise in catalysis, we can rid pyrolysis oil from difficult mixed plastic waste feedstocks of contaminants like silicon, phosphorus, heteroatoms, halogens and more. Then, we refine it into premium on-spec naphtha or heavier cut steam cracker feedstock, ready to be turned into premium upcycled plastic for any application, including food and medical.

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Plastic pyrolysis oils (PPO) .

Close up

Circular plastic

Topsoe's PureStep™ technology upgrades mixed waste plastic pyrolysis oil to high-quality naphtha. Watch the video to see how PureStep™ removes impurities, enabling premium circular plastic production.

Definition

Catalysts

Catalysts can accelerate chemical reactions, control selectivity, and reduce energy requirements. Their ability to optimize process efficiency and product quality make them indispensable in industrial processes.

Definition

Outputs

The output is the result or end product you're looking to get out of your refinery or chemical process. The output helps determine which technologies and catalysts you need.

Take a deeper look

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

As a direct replacement for conventional fuel, SAF is an easy decarbonization measure that will help the aviation industry decarbonize immediately.

Power-to-X

To lower emissions in energy-intensive industries and long-distance transportation, we need technologies such as electrolysis in Power-to-X processes technology.

Renewable fuels

Renewable fuels will help us decarbonize heavy-duty transportation, and we’ll need proven technologies for their production. Luckily, these already exist.

Hydrogen

The abundance of hydrogen coupled with its potential for sustainable methods of production, positions it as a promising solution in the global energy transition. 

Ammonia

Ammonia is considered a gamechanger in decarbonizing the maritime industry and other energy-intensive industries where direct electrification is not an option.

Contact us

Do you have a question about our products or solutions? Or do you want to know how our technologies can support your business? Contact our experts today.