Archives for April 2024

The European ICEBERG project has ended with the demonstration of the feasibility of hyperspectral imaging to perform complex operations to automatically sort construction and demolition waste.

The European ICEBERG project in which the GAIKER Technology Centre, member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, BRTA, has participated, has come to an end having achieved significant results.

This four-year research project, carried out by a consortium of 35 partners from 10 European countries, started in 2020 to provide a solution to construction and demolition waste (CDW), which accounts for more than a third of total waste generation, and to address its circularity, from recovery and recycling to the development of more sustainable products.

The partners include GAIKER, an expert in the development of automatic identification and sorting technologies, which has been in charge of researching an advanced technological solution, based on hyperspectral imaging and multivariate data analysis techniques, aimed at recovering material resources contained in different construction and demolition waste streams to be subsequently used in new construction products.

More specifically, it has focused on researching the hyperspectral imaging technique applied to the automatic identification and sorting of mixed stone materials (concrete and ceramic aggregates), gypsum board waste (purification of gypsum board by separating it from other unsuitable materials) and insulating foam mixtures (PUR and PIR).

For each of these case studies, specific automatic sorting models based on supervised learning algorithms have been developed and successfully evaluated. Based on the analysis of the hyperspectral footprints of the different materials, they determine the class or category to which they belong in real time, enabling their subsequent separation into independent fractions.

In conclusion, the feasibility of hyperspectral imaging supported by multivariate data analysis tools has been proven to perform complex automatic sorting operations of construction and demolition waste. In this way, new fractions of recovered materials will be produced with purities that can exceed 90%, enabling them to be reintroduced into the economic cycle as secondary raw materials in value-added applications.

More information:https://iceberg-project.eu/

This project has received funding from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 Research and Development Programme under contract number 869336. This press release reflects the views only of the authors, and neither the agency nor the Commission is responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

CO2 emissions and biomass to produce new biodegradable and renewable polymers.

Plastic plays an essential role in modern society, but it also has a significant impact on the environment and climate. The EU's transition towards a circular, resource-efficient and climate-neutral economy, together with the ambition to achieve zero pollution, has triggered a general rethink of how plastic is produced, used and managed at the end of its useful life. In this context, bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastic is appearing in our daily lives as an alternative. Although this plastic currently accounts for only 0.5% (2.3 MT) of more than 400 million tonnes of plastic produced annually, Plastics Europe predicts that the replacement of fossil-based plastics with circular plastics from recycled and renewable raw materials will be gradual and could reach 25% by 2030 and 65% by 2050 with the right policies and support for the development of innovation projects in the plastics sector.

On the other hand, in order to achieve Europe's ambitious climate targets, CO2 emissions have to be reduced significantly in the coming years. While much of this can be achieved by investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, the need for technologies to capture, store and use CO2 as a raw material is becoming increasingly important. This will be particularly important in sectors where it is more difficult to reduce emissions, such as cement and energy recovery from waste. In order to meet climate neutrality targets, the EU will have to be prepared to capture at least 50 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, 80 million tonnes by 2040 and around 450 million tonnes by 2050. Based on these two challenges, the PREBIO2 "Renewable, BIOdegradable and BIOcompatible polycarbonates from CO2 for strategic sectors in the Basque Country" project, in which the GAIKER technology centre, member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), TECNALIA (leader), the UPV/EHU, BCMaterials, NEIKER and ACLIMA are participating, aims to help develop new biodegradable and renewable polymers using CO2 emissions and biomass as raw materials.

PREBIO2, has focused on generating knowledge of the synthesis of polycarbonates, a specific type of plastic, from CO2, as well as their processing and use in different applications for agriculture, health and printed electronics. Most polycarbonates are non-renewable, non-biodegradable and are derived from bisphenol A (BPA), a substance of concern because of its potential risk to human health, according to recent reviews by the EFSA European Food Safety Agency.

This project has developed:
● Artificial Intelligence models to predict macroscopic characteristics of materials (polymers) based on their molecular design (monomer structure). The most important contribution of AI in this case is that it can significantly reduce experiment times, which will bring about a real revolution in the design of new materials.
● Processes for the synthesis of different types of polycarbonates from CO2.
● Plastic transformation processes by extrusion and 3D printing for the manufacture of biodegradable films and parts for agriculture.
 ● Composites based on CO2-derived polycarbonates and carbonaceous fillers to manufacture sensors
● Validation of the absence of cytotoxicity of the materials developed, opening the door to their use in the field of healthcare.

The continuation of the research lines started in the project and the transfer of PREBIO2 results are an opportunity to increase business competitiveness in different aspects: eco-design of products, development of more sustainable production processes, reduction in the consumption of fossil raw materials and direct reduction of CO2 emissions, in line with the European ecological transition objectives, which will bring about a profound change in current production models.

With a budget of more than €600,000 and a duration of 2 years, PREBIO2 has received funding from the Elkartek Collaborative Research grant programme of the Basque Government's Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment.

GAIKER's work
The GAIKER Technology Centre, an expert in the development of materials and applications based on functional, sustainable and bio-based polymers, is working on the research of formulation activities using compounding technologies for the new 100% renewable polycarbonates to adapt them to the different transformation and functionality processes required in the target applications. It also deals with 3D printing and extrusion techniques for obtaining biodegradable sheets and films for agricultural applications or in sensors with conductive and piezo-resistive characteristics based on the new polycarbonates.

The European FENICE project aims to develop battery boxes that are recyclable, lightweight and fire resistant.

The GAIKER Technology Centre, member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, BRTA, is participating in the European Fire Resistant Environmental Friendly Composites (FENICE) project, the aim of which is to develop lighter and safer battery boxes for the automotive sector, which are recyclable thanks to the use of sustainable and innovative materials.

This research stems from the need to find efficient and affordable solutions to build lighter and fire resistant battery boxes for the electrification of vehicles. It involves 10 international partners who will be responsible for developing and designing their own process know-how to a TRL8 technology maturity level (complete and certified system through testing and demonstration in a real environment).

In the course of the project, different materials based on fibre-metal laminates (FML) and innovative composites with advantages in terms of sustainability and safety will be developed. For the production of these materials, pre-impregnated glass fibres and basalt will be used to ensure a competitive cost of the final material and a reduction in environmental impact.

The main reason for the choice of FML materials is that they have good fire performance properties. In addition to FML, this research also proposes the use of reinforced geopolymers as another solution for the manufacture of battery boxes, which also have excellent thermal properties and reaction to fire.

GAIKER, expert in laboratory tests for the characterisation of materials, has a reaction to fire laboratory that is accredited by ENAC and by the European entity ILAC-MRA. Its task in this project will be to carry out fire tests on the materials developed, as well as mechanical tests on the specimens, before and after their exposure to fire, to observe their residual resistance.

The FENICE project, which started in 2022 and will end in 2025, has been funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) under Horizon 2020, the EU's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

More information on the project at:https://www.fenice-composites.eu/