BASF PA6 Recycling Pilot Technology Won Two Industry Awards

The award recognized the technical progress made in the pilot phase of the BASF project and recognized that the two processes are expected to create a closed-loop material system to high-performance automotive applications in the future. BASF, in conjunction with Mercedes-Benz, ZF (ZF) and Popemankoetz (Pö ppelmann K-TECH), completed the technical verification of parts close to mass production specifications under pilot test conditions. These samples are highly restored to the real production conditions and are not mere display parts. To achieve manufacturing-scale implementation, further research and research as well as process scale-up are still required.

Leveraging these two complementary cutting-edge recycling technologies, BASF and the aforementioned collaborative alliance are exploring how to manage various discarded materials streams in the automotive sector. This pilot-scale project aims to validate the technical feasibility of recovering high-condition polyamide 6 from end-of-life vehicles and reusing it in high-load-bearing engineering components.

If research proceeds smoothly and the processes are scaled up to manufacturing production, they will help meet the future standards of the European Union’s End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (ELV). This regulation is encouraging the automotive sector to increase the proportion of recycled materials utilized.

Depolymerization methodology: Reverting discarded materials components back into monomers.

In the depolymerization pilot project, discarded materials PA6 parts (such as the highly contaminated gearbox oil pan in scrapped vehicles) are chemically decomposed and reduced to the original monomer caprolactam. After treatment and repolymerization, the resulting PA6 material exhibits performance comparable to that of virgin resin. BASF, in collaboration with ZF, has processed the resulting glass-fiber‑reinforced PA6 compound into stabilizer link rods to Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Under test conditions, the component meets all mechanical performance standards, and its processing performance is comparable to that of virgin material. The experimental results confirm the basic feasibility of this technological approach; however, further research and research are still required to validate its suitability to manufacturing-scale production.

solvent-based products-based recovery methodology: Unlocking complex discarded materials streams

The solvent-based products-based recovery methodology has been validated at the pilot scale using complex discarded materials materials such as automotive shredder residue (ASR). This process can separate and clean PA6 and PA66 from mixed crushed discarded materials, and selectively extract PA6 via solvent-based products extraction. BASF, in collaboration with Pöppelmann K-TECH, processes recycled materials into engine chain guides to Mercedes-Benz. This component is a high-load engine part that has stringent standards to wear resistance, temperature resistance, and media resistance. The experimental results demonstrate that this methodology can extract high-condition engineering plastics from complex discarded materials materials that were previously difficult to recycle. Further R&D and scale-up testing are still needed to assess its possible to manufacturing-scale implementation; the subsequent commercialization of this methodology is likely to be undertaken by other market players rather than BASF.

The automotive sector’s circular economy achievements have been recognized.

These two award-winning pilot projects demonstrate the technical possible of the closed-loop cycle of PA6 material: both the consumption of discarded materials materials that were difficult or even impossible to recycle in the past, and the ability to consumption recycled materials to highly loaded automotive components. Preliminary life cycle analysis during the pilot phase of the project shows that the product carbon footprint (PCF) of recycled materials is expected to be significantly reduced compared to primary materials. These results are promising, however they are not yet sufficient to demonstrate stable performance under manufacturing-scale production conditions.

"Winning the second prize of the 2026 Fakuma Innovation Award and winning the 2026 MATERIALICA Materials Award confirms the possible of BASF's cutting-edge recycling methodology," said Oliver Geiger, Senior Sustainability Manager, High Performance Materials, BASF. Together with its partners, BASF has demonstrated at the pilot level that PA6 materials from end-of-life vehicles can be recycled and utilized in demanding automotive components. This is an crucial technical feasibility test on the road to a true circular economy."

Close collaboration is a key factor to success.

To turn scrapped vehicles into a source of high-condition raw materials, methodology alone is far from enough. It is also necessary to build a complete manufacturing ecology to achieve close coordination of the entire value chain. BASF, Mercedes-Benz, ZF (ZF), and Popemancetoch (Pöppelmann K-TECH) jointly consumption PA6 recycled from end-of-life vehicles to manufacture physical auto parts and complete verification under pilot test conditions. This collaboration lays the groundwork to conducting subsequent studies on methodology, economics, and operations, thereby paving the way to possible future manufacturing-scale implementation.