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Recycling
Chain management, recycling of fibre reinforced plastic composites (REACT), TRICARE, OPTICARE, Wind turbine blades
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Recycling
Recycling takes expertise
The role of recycling in our society is steadily increasing. In the past, recycling was restricted to small-scale activities of special recycling companies. Today, closing the material cycle is everyone’s concern. The number of companies recycling their products has grown drastically as a result of several government activities, including incentive programs. It is now a proven fact that recycling makes sense also from a business economics perspective. Moreover, it contributes to a positive corporate image and naturally to reduction of environmental pollution.
While traditional recycling is limited to paper, glass and metal, new markets include recycling of complex products, such as household appliances and energy recovery from waste. These aspects are receiving a great deal of attention, as is recycling design. Other new developments are recycling of production waste and quality management and certification. KEMA has a long-standing reputation when it comes to mechanical recycling, processing and energy recovery. KEMA is the one-stop shop for all your questions on recycling. The Industrial Plastics team has all necessary expertise in the field of plastics recycling, especially in relation to modern recycling technology.
KEMA was the co-ordinator of the EU-funded project L-FIRE for the recycling of Optical Fibre Cables (OFC). Download the highlights summary project sheet below or contact us.
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Chain management
A better environment at lower cost
What impact do the raw materials used have on the environment?
Does the product cause a certain environmental impact during its
use? What happens to the product when it has turned to waste? Can
its packaging be adapted in an ecologically sound yet
cost-effective way? Environmental pollution management is moving
from the effect (‘end-of-pipe’) side towards a process-integrated
approach: chain management. Chain certification is a new way of
certification that involves not only the product itself, but the
entire route from waste through raw material all the way to new
product.
Especially for the design stage and in the selection of raw
materials, this offers opportunities that are currently supported
by national and international government incentive schemes. In
material recycling the product quality depends in large measure on
the raw material’s prior history. Implementing certification in the
recycling chain means that the interests of players in the chain
are properly represented and quality is assured.
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Composite-recycling, an opportunity for the industry
Recycling targets have increased enormously the past several years. Because of the widespread (and still increasing) use of fiber-reinforced polymers or composite materials, recycling targets (ELV, WEEE) are a big issue for this industry. That’s why they had to take action……
A European consortium of composite related industries, took the initiative to set up an innovative recycling technology for Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) waste.
Main goal of the consortium is developing an economic feasible recycling route for:- their own production waste
- end of life FRP waste.
This meant developing:- a new hybrid grinding technology
- recyclate reactivation for optimal mechanical properties
- separation of different materials in the waste fraction
- new applications for FRP recyclate.
This work has been achieved with the financial support of the European Commission through REACT, project N° G1ST-CT-2002-50287.
If you would like more information about this FRP recycling project REACT, download the project information below. About FRP recycling in general, you can contact us.
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[download] REACT public project information (.pdf 1.548 kb)
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[download] REACT project information 050815 (.pdf 1.572 kb)
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TRICARE cable recycling
Processing and especially recycling of plastic products has been an ongoing activity for a long time now. It has provided us with a better insight into the various material flows and their sustainable application. Considerations in choosing between mechanical recycling and other technologies directed to energy recovery from products are of great importance.
KEMA has often been a pioneer in contributing to the recycling of rubbers, glass, fly ash, gypsum, cable joints, bitumen, fiber-reinforced plastics, construction and demolition waste,
In the field of tension between the government (Ministry of Housing, Regional Development and the Environment) and disposers, the technical aspects have been considered, as well as environmental and ecological interests of the various options and a synthesis between them. KEMA has also performed the evaluation of the Dutch cable covenant. Several aspects of pyrolysis, incineration with energy recovery, (co-)firing value, ashes etc. and all kinds of release and separation techniques have been evaluated on the basis of large-scale tests with containers (5-10 tons).
Perfecting the easily cost-effective metal recovery led to a less polluted PVC fraction. The Industrial Plastics team also took a good look at PVC recycling. Recent developments, accomplished within the project TRICARE (project BRPR0654) that is supported by the EU and the industry, have led to a drastic reduction of the fraction to be dumped and better separation results of a complex material mixture, viz. finely ground residual material from energy and telecommunication cables. These cables consist for the major part of softened PVC. This means that the targeted ideal, viz. to make new cables from old ones, has already been achieved, with compliments of the EU Scientific Officer, Mr A. Piavaux.
Such a project is a fine example of an autonomous development that leads to practical results without any regulation being imposed. With its impartial position in the market, KEMA is ideally capable of disseminating this further for European industrial companies.
Efforts are currently being undertaken to compose another project consortium for the rubber fraction from cable waste. The intention is to determine the optimum processing route for this type of material as well.
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OPTICARE optical cable recycling
Demand for optical fiber cable is continuously increasing due to
the global expansion of telecommunication networks and replacement
of existing networks by others of superior quality and data flow
capacity. This development implies a growing amount of cable waste
in both the present and the future. Unlike for power cables, there
is as yet no economically justifiable recycling system available
for optical fiber cables. However, the waste material of these
cables could be the source of several types of useful materials for
a wide range of products.
There is a project underway to develop a process for OPTIcal
fiber CAble REcycling (OPTICARE), which can be justified
economically by recovery of high-grade elements, like aramid
fibers, metals, plastics, glass and germanium. The ultimate goal is
to arrive at an approach and application of the recycling route on
a European level, developing several different products from these
materials.
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Wind turbine blade recycling
The blades of the American Kenetech turbines in the Edon wind park Eemshaven were in need of replacement. The blades, which had to be removed due to technical defects, will be replaced by higher-quality Aerpac blades. With subsidy from Novem, KEMA, Aerpac and Hanze Milieu together conducted an inventory study of possible processing methods for the discarded blades.
Waste material of fiber-reinforced plastics is mostly dumped at present. Although it concerns inert material, it has a relatively great environmental impact. This is why a solution was sought for the wind turbine blades that would enable useful application of the material. Various thermal processing methods and material recycling options were considered.
Two processing methods turn out to offer the best prospects. In the short term, thermal processing of the turbine blades in the cement industry will be possible. In the longer term, mechanical recycling is to be preferred.
For more information, please contact us.
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