Objective The European Industry has a strong need for: 1. low cost elastomers in order to increase the competitivity of traditional sectors such as shoes industry or technical rubber or polyurethame goods production (mats, seats, solid tyres...) 2. Iow cost noise and vibration damping elastomeric composites for improvemenl of transporl means quality (aircrafts, cars, railway vehicles), improvement of industrial working environment and buildings noise insulation. At the same time, a sharp social and environmental issue arises from elastomer waste. European rubber and polyurethanes waste represents about 2 millions tons of scrap materials per year. Wilhin this conlext, lhe objeclive of this projecl is lo develop complele recycling processes for rubber and polyurethane waste aimed at the mass production of low cost elastomeric composites with noise and vibration damping properties. These recycling routes will be based on the manufacturing of polymeric composite materials containing a large volume fraction of powderized elastomeric wastes. This project will focus on specifications on final recycled composiles, optimization of crushing and separation processes, development of a wide set of innovative polymeric materials, small scale production of prototype finished products and environmental impacts analysis. Main innovation will consist in systematic tailoring of the recycled composite materials for each aimed application. Size, chemical nature, volume fraction of granulates and malrixes will be chosen in order to achieve finished products with valuable functional properties in terms of mechanical cohesion, noise absorption and vibration damping, friction coefficient and heat insulation. Moreover, recycling of cross linked elastomer powders requires the creation of chemical bondings at the interfaces between grains and malrixes. Another technical innovation will derive from optimization of these interface phenomena based on powders shape optimization, specific chemical treatments and use of bonding agents. This achievement of high quality mechanical and damping properties will lead to an up grading of the processed elastomeric wastes. These up graded reused composite materials will have multi products functionalities and the possibilily for their incorporalion in various applicalions will be checked and confirmed by the industrial end users involved in the project. This will guarantee the feasability of a processing of large amounts of wastes: therefore, this program will propose at a European level profit generating solutions for the critical environmental and social issue deriving from elastomer wastes. The consortium comprises 6 partners and 2 sub contractors from 6 European countries: TS.ASM France, manufacturer of sound and vibration absorbing materials, coordinator of the project and end user, DTI, Danish institute specialized in rubber and polyurethane technology, IVW, German inslilule deeply involved in polyurethane technology and recycling, SCANRUB, Danish SME which has already developed a complete elastomer crushing line, end user GAIKER, Spanish SME experienced in polymers recycling issues, end user through its associated companies, ECCO, Portugal, manufacturer of shoes, end user of the results for shoe soles production, MILLIKEN, Danish sub contractor, manufacturer of mats, end user, BETONGINDUSTRI, Swedish sub contractor, producing concrete elements, end user of concrete/rubber composites. This partnership is multi sectorial and exhibits a high complementarity in terms of know how, facilities, industrial applications and corporate strategy: it would have been impossible to gather such different experiences and interesls al a national level. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesrecyclingengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcompositesengineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraftnatural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciencespolyurethanesocial sciencessociologysocial issues Programme(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0201 - Materials engineering Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Thomson Marconi Sonar SAS Address 525,route des dolines 06903 Sophia antipolis France See on map EU contribution No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all DANISH TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE Denmark EU contribution € 0,00 Address Gregersensvej 2630 Taastrup See on map Other funding No data Eccolet Portugal Portugal EU contribution € 0,00 Address 4520 Feira See on map Other funding No data FUNDACION GAIKER Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address Parque tecnologico de zamudio, edificio 202 Zamudio See on map Links Website Opens in new window Other funding No data INSTITUT FUER VERBUNDWERKSTOFFE GMBH Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Erwin-schroedinger strasse, gebaeude 58 67663 Kaiserslautern See on map Other funding No data Scandinavian Rubber Company Ltd. Denmark EU contribution € 0,00 Address 3-13,erik glippingsvej 8800 Viborg See on map Other funding No data
