TNO Möbius technology

The TNO Möbius platform is a solvent-based recycling process that recovers high-purity polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) from complex, highly contaminated, polyolefin-rich waste streams. This groundbreaking technology selectively dissolves target polymers and separates them from contaminants like additives, colourants, odours and non-target plastics. Recyclers extract clean, near-virgin-quality polymers from mixed and problematic feedstocks. This significantly increases the development of high-value recycled plastics.

TNO Möbius technology consistently produces transparent, high-purity PE and PP that outperform mechanical recycling and meet stringent EFSA food-contact requirements. It processes complex waste streams and achieves a >95% contaminant removal efficiency rate. Pilot-scale validation at TRL 5 demonstrated reliable dissolution, purification and solvent-recovery performance. Techno-economic assessments confirmed the approach’s viability at larger-scale, industrial application levels.

The TNO Möbius platform not only provides a novel and applicable recycling process in its own right. It also supports mechanical and chemical recycling techniques and removes some of their roadblocks. Mechanical recycling suffers major quality losses from heterogenous feedstocks. Chemical recycling demands extremely clean inputs to avoid corrosion and catalyst poisoning. TNO Möbius provides a powerful pre-treatment step for both methods. It can remove problematic contaminants up front, stabilise downstream processes, boost yields and enable a much broader range of feedstocks for either route.

This dual functionality – producing high-quality recyclate and enabling higher efficiency in other recycling technologies – makes TNO Möbius fundamentally different than traditional, incremental improvements to existing systems. It represents the development of an entirely new purification and upgrading concept.

TNO Möbius combines TNO’s expertise in advanced polymer-solvent interaction with specialised process and separation engineering. Through the design of proprietary dissolution, purification and deep-decontamination sequences, as well as pilot-scale process development, TNO has demonstrated the process’ viability.

TNO’s patent portfolio covers polyolefin, polystyrenic and polycarbonate recovery. By combining scientific insight, engineering capabilities and protected intellectual property, TNO has created this unique and flexible recycling platform that significantly increases plastics recycling yields.

TNO Möbius specifically focuses on highly contaminated, difficult-to-recycle waste streams that competing solvent- or dissolution-based recycling approaches do not use. This targets an untapped market and fills a critical gap. Industries from packaging to automotive to electronics will gain access to higher-quality recycled materials that comply with tightening EU regulations. Society as a whole will benefit from reduced incineration, lower CO₂ emissions, more efficient use of resources and meaningful progress towards Europe’s circular-economy goals.

We encourage plastics recyclers, converters and brand owners to discover how this proven technology can achieve high-purity polyolefin recyclate that meets food-contact and other demanding specifications. For mechanical and chemical recyclers, we are eager to demonstrate how this versatile pre-treatment step can improve process stability, increase yields, and allow the handling of a broader and more contaminated range of feedstocks.

Interested in learning more about TNO Möbius technology, investing in the technology, or joining the initiative? Get in touch today.