Mechanical and Thermochemical Recycling of Mixed Plastic Waste
The MATTER project aims to evaluate the recycling of mixed (post-consumer) plastic waste streams and to use the generated data to develop a decision supporting framework. Technical and market-based criteria will be developed to support an optimal plastic waste management system. More specifically, the project will focus on the P+ fraction (all plastics packaging waste) of the extended P+MD collection and recycling scheme. Partners from across the whole value chain are included in the project consortium: separation and pretreatment (Indaver and Bulk.ID), mechanical recycling (Borealis and ECO-oh!) and thermochemical recycling (Indaver and Borealis). Organizations such Fost+, Plarebel and OVAM will be closely involved in the project execution. Sustainability analyses will enable the development of a decision-supporting framework.
By generating general knowledge on the recycling of mixed plastic waste and specific knowledge on the optimization of the P+MD recycling scheme, the valorization of the project is twofold. On short-term, the collection of an extra 50.000-150.000 tons of mixed plastic waste is expected for the P+MD scheme, most of which are packaging materials for which not always alternatives to incineration are available today. The results of the MATTER project will therefore be essential for the development of sustainable recycling solutions for this significant amount of waste. In the longer run, the general recycling knowledge can result in extra activities on the processing of other plastic waste fractions.
Project Results
On 25 November 2020, Ghent University hosted a webinar to present the final results and conclusions of the two Catalisti-ICON projects MATTER & PROFIT. The webinar presented some techno-scientific insights in valorising plastics from comingled waste, chemical vs. mechanical recycling and what the new P+MD bag will mean for Belgium. The main conclusions and their implications for plastic recycling were discussed during a panel conversation moderated by Kim Ragaert (Ghent University), with panelists Erik Moerman (Indaver), Nico Kimpe (Vanheede), Jan Van Havenbergh (Catalisti), Steven De Meester and Philippe Gendebien (Fost Plus). The information about MATTER starts at 25:01.
Reduction of Emissions and Sustainable (Solvents in) Polyurethane Coating
With certain textile PU coating processes solvent is used or even combinations of solvents. For the removal of the solvent gas emissions, the companies use air purification techniques like scrubbers, rotor concentrators and post combustion. In cases where the gas streams have a medium or high load, the efficiency of current technologies is not high enough to reduce the solvent to the required minimum concentrations. The textile coating companies in Flanders are subjected to stricter controls, by the regulation agencies, compared to competitors outside Flanders. The companies need a robust, reliable and efficient emission gas treatment to be combined with their current technique to secure their operations in Flanders.
A feasibility desktop study was already performed. This study screened 16 technologies for this use and concluded that 6 technologies show potential to meet the screening criteria: compatibility with running production systems and installations, (expected) effect and efficiency on removal of solvent, ecological and economical sustainability and “user friendly” (working conditions for operators, etc).
Goal
The overall goal of this project will be to tackle persistent issues in the use of the solvent in polyurethane coating applications. The main, short term development will consist of pilot scale solvent emission reduction. The secondary, longer term goal comprises the development of new, sustainable solvents for PU dispersions and coating processes to replace the current solvents while striving to preserve existing coating infrastructure.
Project Details
Project type:
O&O
Approved on:
24/10/2018
Duration:
01/01/2019 – 31/12/2020
Total budget:
€2.113.237
Subsidy:
€685.019
Project Partners
Contact
Questions about this project? Please contact catalyst Otto van den Berg (ovandenberg@catalisti.be).
Industry 4.0: Towards a Digitized Chemical and Plastics Sector in Flanders
In 2017, Catalisti initiated the DIGICHEM study to obtain an overview of the level of implementation of Industry 4.0 in the chemical and plastics sector in Flanders, the related challenges, and required collective actions that must be taken to increase the level of implementation to maintain competitiveness of the sector on a European and global level.
The DIGICHEM study was executed by Centexbel, sirris and Catalisti in a joint effort in the period February 2018 – January 2019. Within the study, Catalisti, Centexbel and sirris interviewed more than 40 individual companies, analyzed the relevant pre-existing studies and collected information from more than 70 different organizations through collective workshops.
The DIGICHEM study confirmed the importance and great potential impact on following overarching key features:
An increased operational excellence, productivity and flexibility within production, supported by a vertical integration within a smart and digitized factory;
A horizontal integration, leading to the development of new products and associated services from collaboration in a digitized supply chain.
Depending on their size, their position in the value chain or the products they produce, the route towards Industry 4.0 is different for every business. Adoption barriers are related to building a vision and strategy, digitization of all resources, the coupling with information systems, the organization structure and culture. Understanding the challenges and the barriers allows the development of a dedicated action plan for the Flemish chemical and plastics industry, focusing on the (collective) actions and trajectories that are needed to put more companies on the I4.0 road.
The actions in the action plan will be carried out in the coming years through collaboration of all triple helix partners in Flanders: government, research institutions and industry. The action plan exists of 4 major action lines: ‘Technology scouting and watch’, ‘Experimentation labs’, ‘Learning network’ and ‘Skills, education and legal framework’. The action plan describes both actions to be taken over the coming years and actions that are already ongoing in Flanders.
Catalisti will take the necessary steps and coordinate with all relevant stakeholders in Flanders to implement the various action lines of the plan through strong collaborations.
In a circular economy, recycling of products after use is key. Currently merely 30% of our plastic and textile waste is being recycled. The vast majority of recyclable products are one-component materials. Coated and laminated materials are difficult to recycle because of their hybrid nature: the coating layer is difficult to separate from the bulk material or the coating layer can be cured to prevent melting or dissolution in conventional solvents.
The current routes for end-of-life of complex-composite products are mainly focusing on burning or converting into RDF pellets (Refuse Driven Fuel). The energy content and presence of a fusible fraction (carrier and possibly also coating) explain why this waste disposal method is widely spread. Another commonly used route is mechanical reduction via shredders and subsequent use as filler material.
The RECYCOAT project aims to investigate various technologies to separate the different layers present in complex coated or laminated (multilayer) materials (in particular textiles and plastics). The focus is on developing a good design (eco-design) of the multi-layered products and/or altering the chemistry of the coating or adhesive layer. The material should be developed in such a way that maximum separation (i.e. recycling) is made possible: the different layers present in the complex material must be completely separable from each other.
An example of such a technology is an adapted adhesive layer of a carpet allowing separation in boiling water. After 30 seconds the secondary backing is split off.
All Renewable CCU Based on Formic Acid Integrated in an Industrial Microgrid
The 2030 framework for climate and energy policies contains a binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions in EU territory by at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and has the ambition to further reduce them by 80-95% by 2050. As theoretical limits of efficiency are being reached and process-related emissions are unavoidable in some sectors, there is an urgent need to develop efficient carbon capture and utilisation systems. In the past, most research has focused on the capture and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2), also referred to as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS is a technology directed to CO2 abatement and removes carbon from the economy. In addition to CCS, CO2 can also be transformed into valuable added products. This is known as carbon capture and utilization (CCU). Since the use of CO2 as a carbon feedstock has the potential to create attractive business cases for production of chemicals, more and more novel CCU technologies are being reported and the range of CO2-derived products is expanding. However, these emerging technologies all have different technology readiness levels (TRL) and a comparison for different technologies is missing.
The main objective of the project is the development of technologies for the conversion of CO2 to value-added chemicals using catalysis and renewable energy. To benchmark, compare and develop the various technologies, the formation of formic acid was selected as the initial target. Formic acid is the first product of the hydrogenation of CO2 towards value-added chemicals. In the project, the development of 4 catalytic routes (homogenous & heterogeneous catalysis, photochemical plasma-catalysis, electrochemical catalysis and bio-catalysis) is planned, enabling the sustainable synthesis of formic acid and more complex value-added chemicals (Single Cell Proteins, etc.). Sustainability is the common denominator of the different routes investigated in the project as they will enable the creation of a circular economy using (i) abundant reagents: CO2, H2O and electricity produced by surplus of renewable energies production through electrolysis and (ii) sustainable catalysts: earth-abundant metals will be used in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, in photochemical and electro-catalytic syntheses, and set-ups will fully exploit renewable electricity. Finally, the potential of enzymatic catalysts (microbes and bacteria) will be exploited to use nitrogen from waste water sources to produce organic molecules of added value and microbial proteins for feed/food applications. At the end of the project, the partners want to be able to select the best technology (CO2 source, purity and intended product, availability of excess electricity) for the conversion of CO2. A decision support framework will be developed to support this decision process. Via a techno-economic analysis, the different catalytic routes towards formic acid will be benchmarked against each other and against the classical process via base-catalyzed carbonylation of methanol.
The second objective is the valorization of formic acid. On the one hand, formic acid will be used as a building block for the bio-catalytic production of value-added chemicals such as Single Cell Proteins. On the other hand, formic acid is considered as a H2 carrier to propose a circular economy with CO2 and H2/electricity generated from renewable sources (POWER to CHEMICALS): when renewable sources (solar, wind, …) produce energy surplus, this energy can be converted in H2 (through electrolysis) that is chemically converted with CO2 into formic acid. When utilizing the H2 upon conversion of formic acid, CO2 is released and can be used recycled/reused with a new supply of H2 for the formation of formic acid generating a true circular approach.
Advisory Board
This project has the ambition to strengthen the position of Flanders in terms of research into CO2-based processes and materials. The relevance of this cluster SBO project is further emphasized by an industrial advisory board (pictured below), who are eager to implement the results and create economic valorisation. Current members of the advisory board include: 3M, Alco Biofuel, Arcelor Mittal, Avecom, Borealis, Cargill, Eastman, ENGIE Laborelec, Hydrogenics, INEOS, Messer, Monsanto, Nutrition Sciences and Smart Bioprocess.
The current leading polyamide (PA) markets are historically grown from benzene, and therefore dominated by fossil-based plastic grades at matured low cost. The typical durability of PA results in full non-(bio)degradability. Greening these PA applications is not easy, unless new substitutes are developed that have stronger and more local bio-roots, and can be better controlled in their degradation pattern. The TESPA project aims to find such novel PA substitutes by developing new grades up to pilot scale, identifying their unique set of functionalities, and match them with target applications in the markets of fibers, yarns, filaments, engineering plastics, coatings and inks/adhesives.
Project Details
Project type:
O&O
Approved on:
13/12/2017
Duration:
31/01/2018 – 31/01/2020
Total budget:
€1.236.366
Subsidy:
€642.631
Project Partners
Contact
Questions about this project? Please contact catalyst Stef Koelewijn (skoelewijn@catalisti.be).
We are people against dirty® (PAD), and we’ve always done things differently. We are fearless thinkers, mad scientists and adventurous designers who believe that making soap leads to brave ideas, bold inventions and beautiful bubbles.
We are small, but we have big plans to make the world a cleaner, greener, more colourful place. And we invite everyone to join us as we pioneer a future where doing business is doing good for all.
Function: R&D
People leader: R&D Manager
Role purpose: As the EU regulatory expert you will be in charge of product and product labelling regulatory compliance.
The responsibilities:
You’ll be advising the formulators, the researchers and the product teams on do’s and don’ts, on product labelling, formula claims as well as on novel concepts
You’ll guard the legal framework for safe handling and formulation of ingredients
You’ll instruct the regulatory assistant on issuing safety data sheets and product registrations in the countries we operate in
You will ensure the compilation of cosmetic files
You’ll be seeking assistance from external consultants in our key sales hubs abroad as and when needed
You’ll relate to the entire business including our sales team and customer care on questions and issues as they arise
You’ll be monitoring legislation pertaining to all aspects of manufacturing and putting on the market of detergents and cosmetics and their ingredients. You’ll participate to detergent industry meetings for that purpose and will stay informed through newsletters and the like.
You’ll proactively advise the business and develop a regulatory strategy framework.
The candidate:
Will be motivated and have great initiative
A strong communicator
Should have an interest in great people leadership
Structured and able to work autonomously
A strategic thinking
A professional proficiency in English with another European language
Able to travel
The requirements:
A scientific education within Chemistry, Biology, Agronomy, Toxicology or Similar
Experience in chemical industry would definitely be a plus
Minimum 3 years of regulatory experience with REACH, BPR, CLP and SDS’es
Highly experienced with formulation safety assessment and claim support and experienced with safety data sheet software
A formal recognition as a cosmetic safety assessor and Detnet expert would be an advantage
Due to lignin’s wide availability, its aromatic structure, as well as the variety of potential modifications offered by its chemical structure, many studies have shown that the real commercial opportunity offered by lignin lies in its valorization as a renewable feedstock of aromatics for the chemical industry. This renewed interest in lignin has stimulated research for the development of an economically viable lignin conversion route into high-added value bio-aromatics as phenol and phenol derivatives.
The intrinsic properties of lignin, the variability of the resource, heterogeneous and polydisperse molar masses and hype-branched structures have, until now, hindered technological and commercial developments. While technology for isolating lignin from biomass is no longer the main obstacle for effective valorization, extensive research is currently being undertaken globally to propose innovative concepts of biorefinery based on disruptive processing/purification technologies.
Goal
The BAFTA project seeks to initiate the first steps in closing the virtual “valley of death” between research and industrial scale, thereby focusing on the general aim of the transition towards a biobased chemical industry in Flanders using lignocellulosic feedstock. The target group of companies that will benefit from this project are found throughout the value chain of bio-aromatics (from paper, wood, and waste treatment companies as a primary/secondary source for feedstock, over producers of polymers or fine-chemicals based on phenolic compounds, to formulators in the area of adhesives, UV-stabilizers, dyes, inks, coatings).
The main goals of this project are fivefold. First, a technology mapping for the conversion of lignin and wood biomass into useful chemical building blocks will be done. Secondly, a feedstock overview will be worked out both quantitative and qualitative for three different types, being virgin wood, waste wood and lignin. Another goal is creating a clear overview of the IP landscape and freedom-to-operate for conversion technologies of lignin and wood biomass. This will lead to the selection of 2 most promising technologies per feedstock (lignin and wood) based on a decision support framework. A detailed analysis of the two selected technologies per feedstock and recommendations for future research and follow-up projects will be provided. The last goals is the sampling of 4 different technologies at kg-scale and characterization of obtained samples on both stability and reproducibility.
Sugar-Based Chemicals and Polymers through Innovative Chemocatalysis and Engineered Yeast
Cancellation of the EU sugar quota as of October 1th 2017 will have important consequences for European sugar producers, not at least in terms of the evolution of sugar prices towards prices on the global market. Together with the disappearance of export limitations, this will lead to new opportunities for sugar as feedstock for production of chemicals and materials. Market analysts also expect an increase of EU sucrose and glucose syrup production.
Goal
The SPICY project aims to provide the chemical industry with new or optimized processes to convert sugars into added value compounds, i.e. both drop-ins and novel biobased chemicals (see figure below). Two complementary lines are hereto developed in parallel, one focusing on biotechnology based on improved yeast-strains and one based on chemocatalytic routes. Both will aspire to meet industrial standards of productivity, titer, yield and selectivity, to safeguard potential economic benefit and future industrial valorisation. Most of the targeted platform chemicals are (potential) monomers for biobased plastics, hence, a second aim of SPICY is to deliver proof-of-concept of their usefulness by targeting novel and functional polymeric materials, typically not found in the current oil-based value chain.
The project has the ambition to strengthen the position of Flanders in terms of research into biobased processes and materials. The relevance of this project is further emphasized by an industrial advisory board eager to implement the results and create economic valorisation. Current members of the advisory board include: 3M, Allnex, Beaulieu, Cargill, Eastman, EOC, Galactic, GF Biochemicals, GlobalYeast, INEOS Styrolution, Proviron, Solvay, Tereos and Tiense Suiker.
Project Details
Project type:
cSBO
Approved on:
14/12/2017
Duration:
01/02/2018 – 30/07/2022
Total budget:
€2.526.011
Subsidy:
€2.526.011
Project Partners
Contact
Questions about this project? Please contact catalyst Aron Deneyer (adeneyer@catalisti.be).
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The project has the ambition to strengthen the position of Flanders in terms of research into biobased processes and materials. The relevance of this project is further emphasized by an industrial advisory board eager to implement the results and create economic valorisation. Current members of the advisory board include: 3M, Allnex, Beaulieu, Cargill, Eastman, EOC, Galactic, GF Biochemicals, GlobalYeast, INEOS Styrolution, Proviron, Solvay, Tereos and Tiense Suiker.
