Polyamides (PA6/PA66) enter “large-scale recycling” — chemical recycling moves from pilot projects to real-world implementation

Polyamides (PA6/PA66) are one of the key materials for technical injection-molded products (automotive components, fasteners, housings, engineering parts). However, historically they had a weak point: high-quality recycling of “complex” polyamide waste (contaminated, with additives, from mixed streams) is significantly more difficult than, for example, simple packaging plastics.

In 2025–2026, the situation is changing noticeably: major chemical companies and engineering centers demonstrate that polyamide can be returned in the form of “new granules” for technical applications — through chemical depolymerization into monomers followed by purification and re-polymerization.

What is happening globally

1) Automotive industry: BASF presented two PA6 recycling technologies from end-of-life vehicles (K 2025)
BASF introduced two recycling routes for polyamide 6 from end-of-life vehicles:

• depolymerization (breaking polyamide down into monomers followed by purification to remove impurities accumulated during the product’s service life),
  
  
• solvent-based technology (selective dissolution of the polymer, purification, and return into PA6 compound).
  
  

In pilot projects, BASF partners demonstrated “near-series” examples:

• ZF recycled used oil pans/trays from vehicles into secondary material and manufactured a complex component for Mercedes-Benz (stabilizer link).
  
  
• Pöppelmann validated the solvent-based technology on a series production timing chain guide for Mercedes-Benz under near-production conditions.
  
  

BASF directly emphasizes the scale of the problem: on average, around 200 kg of plastic per vehicle is often sent to incineration, and new approaches aim to change this logic.

2) Textile → granules: BASF launched a commercial recycled PA6 (Loopamid) site in Shanghai
Separately, in 2025 BASF announced the launch of Loopamid — recycled PA6 based on textile waste, with a site in Caojing (Shanghai) with a capacity of 500 t/year. The company states that the material properties are identical to virgin PA6, and the product is certified according to Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

3) PA66: Toray accelerates chemical recycling of “complex” nylon 66
Toray Industries (Japan) in 2025 described a new chemical recycling method for nylon 66 (PA66) via depolymerization in subcritical water — producing monomers that can be converted back into PA66. The company links growing interest in the topic to stricter plastic recycling requirements in the automotive sector and cites examples of PA66 applications in technical products (airbags, radiator tanks, covers, etc.).

4) Marine waste → technical products: polyamide fishing nets recycling chains launched in Europe
The Redes4Value project (Spain) aims to return polyamide from end-of-life fishing nets into production — focusing on mechanical + chemical processes to obtain secondary polyamide for automotive components and other products. According to Plastics Today, researchers mention optimizing depolymerization conditions and recovering high-purity monomers at different stages (lab/pilot).

Why this matters for injection molding (and polyamide products)

For the engineering plastics market, the key value of chemical recycling is:

• removal of “historical” impurities (oils, colorants, degradation products, foreign polymers) at the monomer purification stage — enabling secondary material quality suitable for demanding technical parts;
  
  
• real examples of material returning “car → car” (not just downcycling into secondary applications);
  
  
• a clear market signal: recycled polyamide is gradually ceasing to be a “compromise for low-cost parts” and can enter technical products — with proper technology and control.
  
  

Practical checklist for sourcing polyamide for injection molding

If your production uses PA6/PA66 (or plans to), when considering recycled polyamide, include the following in your supplier request:

1. Feedstock origin: from which streams (automotive, textile, industrial waste, mixed).
   
   
2. Recycling route: mechanical or chemical (monomer-based) — this strongly affects stability and impurities.
   
   
3. MVR/viscosity stability and batch tolerances.
   
   
4. Glass fiber/fillers: percentage, type, abrasion control (important for screw/mold wear).
   
   
5. Moisture content and drying recommendations (critical for polyamides).
   
   
6. Declarations on impurities/restrictions (especially if products are supplied to the EU or international customers).