Chemical recycling: depolymerization of PA6, PA6.6 and polycarbonate into drop-in monomers such as caprolactam
SECARA GmbH
52070 AachenNew on Amplifa
About SECARA
SECARA GmbH is an Aachen-based start-up in the field of chemical plastics recycling. The company is developing an advanced catalytic depolymerization process that makes it possible to feed hard-to-recycle plastic waste from polyamide 6, polyamide 6.6 and polycarbonate back into high-quality monomers such as caprolactam. The recovered monomers are drop-in capable and have material properties identical to fossil-derived precursors, without any adjustments to supply chains or product design. In addition, the process reclaims glass fibers from fiber-reinforced plastics, which are processed into fillers and reinforcement materials. Feedstocks include, among others, shredder waste from the automotive industry, electric vehicle battery housings, commercial textile waste, and production scrap. With a scale-up roadmap from pilot plant (2026) via demonstration plant (2028) to industrial plant (2031+), SECARA targets the chemical industry, automotive manufacturers and suppliers, and plastics processing. Cooperation partners include the polymer manufacturer Envalior.
- Site
- Aachen
- Processes
- Advanced catalytic depolymerization (polyamide 6), Advanced catalytic depolymerization (polyamide 6.6), Advanced catalytic depolymerization (polycarbonate), Recycling/recovery of glass fibers from reinforced plastics (filler/reinforcement), Heterogeneous catalysis (process technology for depolymerization of mixed plastic waste), Advanced catalytic depolymerization (chemical recycling of polyamide 6, polyamide 6.6 and, Recycling of glass fibers into fillers and reinforcement materials, Partnerships for circular economy in the automotive industry
- Materials
- Polyamide 6 (PA6), Polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6), Polycarbonate (PC), Caprolactam, Glass fiber (recycled), Shredder waste (mixed plastic fractions), Polyamide 6, Polyamide 6.6
- Industries
- Chemical industry, Automotive industry, Plastics processing, Recycling, Automotive industry (OEMs and suppliers)
- 01
Feedstock intake (shredder waste, ELV battery parts, textiles)
- 02
Heterogeneous catalysis / advanced depolymerization
- 03
Recovery of monomers (including caprolactam)
- 04
Processing of recycled glass fibers into fillers and reinforcement materials
- 05
Marketing as drop-in precursors for existing polymer supply chains
Materials & Processes
Polyamide 6
Recovered via catalytic depolymerization into drop-in monomers such as caprolactam.
Polyamide 6.6
Target material of the depolymerization process for high-performance engineering polymers.
Polycarbonate
Depolymerized in the process into high-value monomers.
Glass fiber (recycled)
Fibers recovered from fiber-reinforced plastics, processed into fillers and reinforcement materials.
Shredder Waste
Mixed plastic fractions from automotive and industrial shredder residues as a robust feedstock.
Caprolactam
Drop-in monomer obtained from PA6 in fossil-equivalent quality.
Location
Aachen
DEBusiness address
- Materials
- PA6, PA6.6, PC, glass fiber
- Depolymerization pilot plant (planned 2026)
Feedstocks
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced catalytic depolymerization (polyamide 6)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyamide 6 |
| Advanced catalytic depolymerization (polyamide 6.6)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyamide 6.6 |
| Advanced catalytic depolymerization (polycarbonate)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polycarbonate |
| Recycling/recovery of glass fibers from reinforced plastics (filler/reinforcement)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Glass fiber, Polyamide, Polycarbonate |
| Heterogeneous catalysis (process technology for depolymerization of mixed plastic waste)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polyamide 6, Polyamide 6.6, Polycarbonate |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot plant (depolymerization, tonne scale, planned 2026) | SECARA | 1 | – | 2026 | Germany (location not specified) |
| FOAK demonstration plant (kilotonne scale, planned 2028) | SECARA | 1 | – | 2028 | Germany/Europe (location not specified) |
| Large-scale industrial plant (50 kt+, planned 2031+) | SECARA | 1 | – | 2031 | Europe (location not specified) |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 2025
1st place AVK Innovation Award (Association for Reinforced Plastics); funding from the Werner Siemens Foundation under the catalaix program; presentation at STARTUP AUTOBAHN with Porsche and Motherson Group
- 2026
Grant 'Grüne Gründungen NRW' (Green Start-ups NRW) of EUR 600,000 for scaling the depolymerization process toward a demonstration plant; planned construction of the pilot plant on tonne scale