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Process for the reuse of fly ash derived from waste thermal treatments as substitution of critical and toxic flame retardants in the plastic manufacturing.

Project description

Converting hazardous air pollution ashes into valuable raw material for plastic and rubber production

Velaworks from Slovakia has previously patented a process to transform hazardous air pollution ashes derived from the thermal treatment of non-recyclable waste into raw material that can be used as a filler and flame retardant in plastic and rubber production. The low-cost process can also provide a solution to the fly ashes landfills while offering a price-competitive way of replacing antimony and bromine in the plastics production process. The solution was validated at a pilot scale, demonstrating the technical feasibility and the environmental safety of the process. The EU-funded COSMOS-Fenix project aims to demonstrate the economic feasibility by testing sites for pre-industrial plant installation, obtaining material authorisation, and finalising agreements with stakeholders and customers.

Objective

COSMOS Fenix® (CF) is the trademark name of the patented process owned by Velaworks for the inerting of hazardous Air Pollution Control (APC) ashes derived from non-recyclable Waste Thermal Treatments, able to transform them into valuable secondary raw material (powder) that can be used as filler and flame retardant in plastic and rubber production. The easy and inexpensive process gives an effective answer to the huge problem of fly ashes landfill. At the same time, it offers to plastic and rubber manufacturers a very price competitive filler and flame retardant with very interesting flame resistant and strength properties, able to replace Antimony and Bromine in the plastics production process. The solution was validated at pilot scale at the waste thermal treatment plants of Brescia (Italy) and Bratislava (Slovakia), demonstrating the technical feasibility and the environmental safety of the process. The unique selling points are:
• for Solid Waste Thermal Treatment operators → 20% reduction of cost for the disposal of APC (130 vs. 160 €/ton) with a potential saving for the sector in Europe of > 45M€/year;
• for plastic manufacturers → flame retardants price equal to 380 €/ton, against the current market prices between 400 to 800 €/ton, with a saving up to 52%; no need of modifying the production process; safe and environmentally friendly material.
Currently, about 2.4 million tons of APC ashes per year are treated in Europe, corresponding to a total Potential Market for CF of 1.200 M€/y, considering revenues from the treatment of the APCs and from sales of the secondary raw materials.
The scope of Phase 1 is to demonstrate the technical/economical feasibility, achieving the following targets: i) Final Testing site for the pre-industrial plant installation (capacity = 400 tons/year) selected; ii) REACH authorization finalized for CF material; iii) First agreements with supply/value chain and stakeholders signed; iv) Customer validation performed.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020

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Coordinator

VELAWORKS SRO
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 50 000,00
Address
MOSTNA 60
94901 NITRA
Slovakia

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Slovensko Západné Slovensko Nitriansky kraj
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 71 429,00
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