Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PLASTICE (New technologies to integrate PLASTIC waste in the Circular Economy)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-06-01 do 2023-11-30
PLASTICE approach incorporates innovative components across the entire value chain, aiming to incorporate green technologies into new processes to enhance sustainability. The aim is to pioneer and showcase novel plastic valorization methods capable of handling unsortable mixed streams of plastic and textile waste. Consortium counts on waste management specialists, research institutions, and technology suppliers. Through continuous experimental endeavors, aided by AI models and sorting methodologies, progress is being made towards refining the four recycling technologies outlined in the project. Within the initial 18 months, these technologies have been successfully tested at the laboratory level, and efforts are now underway to scale up operations and establish pilot-scale processes. Advancements have been achieved in characterizing these products and pinpointing the essential stages required for their industrialization. Partners are harmonizing their internal strategic objectives to effectively tackle this goal within their respective organizations.
Main achievements are:
1)MW-assisted pyrolysis (MWPyr): CIRCE has validated the MWPyr process at the laboratory scale, demonstrating its potential for the thermo-chemical recycling of LDPE sourced by URB. Initial results suggest the technology's promise for olefin production. Simulations have been conducted, and a strategy for scaling up the technology is ready, aiming at basic and detailed engineering for an intermediate-scale continuous MWPyr plant, in collaboration with ATI and a supplier.
2)Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL): Laboratory-scale experiments with HTL, using both pure plastics from UvA lab and mixed waste plastics from COGERSA, have provided key chemical and technical insights. The research has examined HTL output and various experimental parameters, setting the stage for scaling up to a 20L batch HTL reactor.
3)Gasification and chemical post-treatment: The project has completed the design for the ZEB rotary kiln reactor, developing the necessary PLC configuration and components. It has also validated the catalyst formulation for DME production from syngas and identified optimal catalysts for olefins synthesis from DME.
4)Cascade enzymatic hydrolysis: Laboratory-scale tests for textile samples are advancing, exploring enzymatic fiber recycling. Specific textiles from SUN and KORTEKS have been used to develop a comprehensive process, including pre-treatment and hydrolysis, with efforts moving towards scaling up the process.
5)Initial characterizations of HTL oils and MWPyr products have been performed. As the TRL-6 MWPyr facility is not yet operational, characterizations of conventional pyrolysis oils from URB have been conducted to identify product quality differences and essential upgrading stages.
6)Activities on predictive models and improvements in traceability and sorting systems are underway. The design phase is completed, with experimental tests in progress. A lab-scale, fully automated plastic sorting system using AI and hyperspectral imaging is in development, alongside an AI-driven waste classifier. A feasibility analysis for textile analysis using NIR scanners and hyperspectral sensors has been conducted.
Furthermore, quantifying carbon footprint reduction will be possible upon project completion, thanks to a specialized platform for continuous monitoring.
1)MW-assisted pyrolysis (MWPyr): CIRCE has validated the MWPyr process at the laboratory scale, demonstrating its potential for the thermo-chemical recycling of LDPE sourced by URB. Initial results suggest the technology's promise for olefin production. Simulations have been conducted, and a strategy for scaling up the technology is ready, aiming at basic and detailed engineering for an intermediate-scale continuous MWPyr plant, in collaboration with ATI and a supplier.
2)Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL): Laboratory-scale experiments with HTL, using both pure plastics from UvA lab and mixed waste plastics from COGERSA, have provided key chemical and technical insights. The research has examined HTL output and various experimental parameters, setting the stage for scaling up to a 20L batch HTL reactor.
3)Gasification and chemical post-treatment: The project has completed the design for the ZEB rotary kiln reactor, developing the necessary PLC configuration and components. It has also validated the catalyst formulation for DME production from syngas and identified optimal catalysts for olefins synthesis from DME.
4)Cascade enzymatic hydrolysis: Laboratory-scale tests for textile samples are advancing, exploring enzymatic fiber recycling. Specific textiles from SUN and KORTEKS have been used to develop a comprehensive process, including pre-treatment and hydrolysis, with efforts moving towards scaling up the process.
5)Initial characterizations of HTL oils and MWPyr products have been performed. As the TRL-6 MWPyr facility is not yet operational, characterizations of conventional pyrolysis oils from URB have been conducted to identify product quality differences and essential upgrading stages.
6)Activities on predictive models and improvements in traceability and sorting systems are underway. The design phase is completed, with experimental tests in progress. A lab-scale, fully automated plastic sorting system using AI and hyperspectral imaging is in development, alongside an AI-driven waste classifier. A feasibility analysis for textile analysis using NIR scanners and hyperspectral sensors has been conducted.
Furthermore, quantifying carbon footprint reduction will be possible upon project completion, thanks to a specialized platform for continuous monitoring.
Substituting fossil fuels with plastic waste to generate chemical feedstock (such as pyrolysis oil and syngas) and building blocks (like olefins, DME, and PET) is a key focus of PLASTICE. Alternatively, PLASTICE aims to enable the replacement of products derived from valorization routes with those derived from plastic waste, harnessing its carbon content.
Experiments were conducted at the laboratory scale to explore the recycling of plastics using the four proposed technologies. This initial phase enables the optimization of processes, encompassing enhancements in energy efficiency and product yields, attainment of an optimal product distribution, comprehension of conversion mechanisms, understanding of main impurities and their effects, as well as identification of bottlenecks and critical control parameters before scaling up.
Experimental samples, including pyrolysis oils, HTL oils, and syngas, were generated throughout the M1-M18 period, resulting in promising characterization outcomes. Extensive efforts have been dedicated to optimizing the operational parameters of the thermochemical processes developed, aimed at comprehending the influence of feedstock on chemical recycling processes. For microwave-assisted pyrolysis and HTL, which represent less mature technologies, research and optimization of oil production routes have continued into the early stages of the second period. In the realm of gasification and catalytic treatment developed at the lab scale, the primary focus has been on synthesizing and selecting a stable and active catalyst for converting syngas into DME and olefins, with a view to understanding the feedstock's impact on the process.
In this regard, efforts were devoted on enhance sorting mechanisms, traceability tools, and AI solutions to play a pivotal role in achieving products of adequate quality for reintroduction into the market. Moreover, they will showcase state-of-the-art digitalization tools within the context of circular value chains involving plastic waste streams. During this initial phase, the specification of various AI solutions has been finalized, and initial experimental trials are currently underway in the early months of the second period.
Continuous experimental advancements are yielding fresh data and insights into the proposed technologies. The emergence of new product distributions and the achievement of precise process control through microwave-assisted pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technologies together with the robustness of gasification in handling solid recovered fuel (SRF) and variations in syngas composition based on feedstock properties, as well as the performance of cascade enzymatic hydrolysis, are focal points currently under examination and enhancement. Additionally, knowledge has been gained in refining sorting processes through the utilization of spectral camera technology and artificial intelligence, with experimental implementation scheduled for the second period.
Furthermore, the design and upscaling efforts of the pilot plants have commenced in each demosite. Consequently, in the subsequent period, a more precise assessment of this impact will be feasible with the availability of results from industrial validation.
Experiments were conducted at the laboratory scale to explore the recycling of plastics using the four proposed technologies. This initial phase enables the optimization of processes, encompassing enhancements in energy efficiency and product yields, attainment of an optimal product distribution, comprehension of conversion mechanisms, understanding of main impurities and their effects, as well as identification of bottlenecks and critical control parameters before scaling up.
Experimental samples, including pyrolysis oils, HTL oils, and syngas, were generated throughout the M1-M18 period, resulting in promising characterization outcomes. Extensive efforts have been dedicated to optimizing the operational parameters of the thermochemical processes developed, aimed at comprehending the influence of feedstock on chemical recycling processes. For microwave-assisted pyrolysis and HTL, which represent less mature technologies, research and optimization of oil production routes have continued into the early stages of the second period. In the realm of gasification and catalytic treatment developed at the lab scale, the primary focus has been on synthesizing and selecting a stable and active catalyst for converting syngas into DME and olefins, with a view to understanding the feedstock's impact on the process.
In this regard, efforts were devoted on enhance sorting mechanisms, traceability tools, and AI solutions to play a pivotal role in achieving products of adequate quality for reintroduction into the market. Moreover, they will showcase state-of-the-art digitalization tools within the context of circular value chains involving plastic waste streams. During this initial phase, the specification of various AI solutions has been finalized, and initial experimental trials are currently underway in the early months of the second period.
Continuous experimental advancements are yielding fresh data and insights into the proposed technologies. The emergence of new product distributions and the achievement of precise process control through microwave-assisted pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technologies together with the robustness of gasification in handling solid recovered fuel (SRF) and variations in syngas composition based on feedstock properties, as well as the performance of cascade enzymatic hydrolysis, are focal points currently under examination and enhancement. Additionally, knowledge has been gained in refining sorting processes through the utilization of spectral camera technology and artificial intelligence, with experimental implementation scheduled for the second period.
Furthermore, the design and upscaling efforts of the pilot plants have commenced in each demosite. Consequently, in the subsequent period, a more precise assessment of this impact will be feasible with the availability of results from industrial validation.