Descrizione del progetto
Riciclare la schiuma di poliuretano termoindurente di lunga durata
I prodotti in poliuretano termoindurente (PU) sono tra i più importanti materiali plastici prodotti in tutto il mondo. Si tratta di schiume flessibili e rigide, di lunga durata e durevoli, utilizzate in molte applicazioni diverse. Il loro riciclaggio, però, è una sfida. In questo contesto, il progetto PUReSmart, finanziato dall’UE, ha riunito nove partner di sei paesi alla ricerca di nuovi metodi, tecnologie e approcci. L’obiettivo è quello di trasformare il PU in un materiale circolare. Il progetto mira al recupero di oltre il 90 % del PU a fine vita con l’obiettivo di convertirlo in utili elementi per prodotti nuovi e conosciuti. Il consorzio del progetto svilupperà tecnologie di cernita intelligente per separare una gamma diversificata di materiali in PU in materie prime dedicate, che saranno suddivise nei loro componenti di base.
Obiettivo
Thermosetting Polyurethanes (PU) provide a unique combination of durability, light weight, high strength and flexibility to high value consumer goods and other applications. PU thermosets have grown to a global market of 50 billion €, ultimately resulting in high volumes of waste mostly disposed via landfill or incineration as the SOA of the recycling technology is limited. PUReSmart will bridge the gap between the current PU linear economy to a circular model by designing smart polyurethane materials that can be reshaped into new products with undiminished quality. PUReSmart will provide solutions for the identified three scientific-technological urgent needs that require conceptual breakthroughs:
1) Smart DESIGN of covalent adaptable polyurethanes (CAPU) to bridge the gap between thermosets and thermoplastics, thanks to thermally reversible bonds; these CAPU are reprocessable, similarly to thermoplastics.
2) Smart SORTING, using the unique spectroscopic fingerprints of conventional PU and smart building blocks to create a validated and cost effective PU sorting platform with high specificity and sensitivity; this enables driving CAPUs to reprocessing and PU to chemolysis.
3) Smart CHEMOLYSIS with mass balanced and minimized input of virgin chemicals, maximal purity and efficient isolation of the obtained building blocks resulting in full re-utilization of all obtained fractions for PU or CAPUs;
PUReSmart will integrate CAPU chemistry with monomers obtained by next-generation chemolysis processes, using well-sorted feedstocks, aiming at scalable industrial products (TRL 5) with social and economic value assessed by a Life Cycle Analysis for ‘cyclic’ PU.
The project encompasses a concerted effort of partners along the value- and revalorization chain: PU producers, producers of the building blocks, technology providers for physical sorting, and research institutions focusing on design of new PU types and on innovative chemolysis methods for existing PU types.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-NMBP-ST-IND-2018
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
1831 DIEGEM
Belgio