Project description
Removing toxic flame retardants supports recycling and reuse of materials
Flame retardants are chemicals added to materials to prevent the start or growth of a fire. They have been used in a myriad of consumer and construction products since the 1970s, but many have now been banned because they can remain in the environment for years, accumulating to toxic levels over time. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are among these and CREAToR is developing a process to remove them from waste materials in the building and construction (B&C) and electrical and electronic equipment sectors. Even better, they are creating a circular economy, revalorising the 'clean' materials for use in new B&C insulation panels as well as creating a path to reuse them in the automotive and aerospace sectors.
Objective
CREAToR focusses on process development and demonstration (to TRL 5) to remove hazardous, already banned bromine-containing flame-retardants from waste streams using continuous purification technologies (supercritical CO2 and cost-effective solvent-based processes using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES)) in twin-screw extruders. CREAToR will cover the whole value chain, starting from collecting thermoplastic waste streams from building and construction (B&C) and from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Respective recyclers and sorters of both industries are part of the CREAToR consortium. The project will implement ways to collect secondary raw materials, identify the presence of hazardous flame retardants, remove these contaminants from the materials and finally reuse the materials. As case studies they will be reused as valuable secondary raw materials for new B&C insulation panels, closing the circle of economy, for automotive interior application, and for producing 3 D printed parts for aerospace applications. The respective end user partners are also part of the CREAToR consortium. For further increasing the economic feasibility of the approach an optimised logistic concept and a harmonized material quality classification scheme will be developed and applied. CREAToR will create a circular economy solution, transforming waste streams that are currently incinerated at costs of >180 €/t (especially from the B&C and WEEE sector) into value-bringing secondary raw materials. The economic viability of CREAToR will be validated through material benchmarking and LCA/LCC assessment for the whole value chain resulting in next generation products. The strong industrial/recycler presence in the consortium (12 industrial partners, among them three recyclers, six SMEs, and six large enterprises) will ensure the market relevance of the developments and the rapid commercialisation of the results within 1-2 years after the end of the project.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.5. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.5.4. - Enabling the transition towards a green economy and society through eco-innovation
- H2020-EU.3.5.3.2. - Promote the sustainable supply and use of raw materials, including mineral resources, from land and sea, covering exploration, extraction, processing, re-use, recycling and recovery
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
80686 Munchen
Germany