The recently awarded patent, “Pyrolysis method and system for recycled waste” (Patent No. 12590252), filed by ExxonMobil Product Solutions Company, represents a monumental leap forward in advanced recycling technology. At the heart of this innovation is a multistage dehalogenation process designed to effectively strip halogen-containing compounds—such as chlorine from polyvinyl chloride (PVC)—out of mixed, recycled plastic feedstocks. Unlike traditional single-stage processes that suffer from severe equipment corrosion and catalyst poisoning, this novel system physically sorts, melts, and separates the feedstock before subjecting it to a highly controlled two-stage pyrolysis with intermediate HCl removal. This multi-step approach successfully cleans the resulting pyrolysis oil so it can be fed directly into steam crackers without risking fouling or equipment damage.
It is precisely this elegant solution to the halogen contamination bottleneck that earned the invention the prestigious “Patent of the Month” for the fabrication-waste-circular-economy industry in May 2026. For decades, highly contaminated mixed plastics were deemed too difficult or expensive to chemically recycle, often ending up relegated to landfills or incinerators. By engineering a reliable system to safely extract these corrosive elements mid-process, this method unlocks the ability to upcycle a much broader and more heavily contaminated spectrum of fabrication waste. This achievement closes a vital loop in the circular economy, turning previously unrecyclable refuse into valuable, virgin-quality petrochemical feedstocks.
R&D Tax Credit Opportunities for Practical Applications
For US-based companies looking to implement or adapt this patented pyrolysis technology, the practical applications offer substantial opportunities to claim the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit under IRC Section 41. Integrating this two-stage pyrolysis and dehalogenation system into an existing or new waste processing facility inherently presents technical uncertainties regarding optimal operating conditions, yield maximization, and feedstock variability. Companies would need to engage in a process of experimentation—such as designing pilot-scale testing, evaluating custom catalyst performance, and tweaking temperature profiles for specific local waste compositions—to resolve these uncertainties. Because these activities are technological in nature and aimed at improving a business component (creating a more efficient, scalable recycling process), the employee wages, supplies, and contractor costs associated with optimizing and adapting this system would likely qualify for the R&D tax credit, driving further investment into circular economy innovations.