Pilot 4. Washing machine door seal
Upgrading of sulphur crosslinked EPDM from end-of-life cycle washing machine seals, with an advanced recycling process, to get recycled EPDM polymer suitable to produce a new washing machine door seal able to fulfil the tight requirements of the OEM washing machine manufacturers. Different methods will be investigated and tested, including advanced milling processes and different reclaim processes (thermo-mechanical, cryogenic, chemic,) in order to find the champion formulation, the one with the maximum percentage of recyclates that fulfil the technical specifications and allow an elaboration process under control. This is a closed-loop demonstration. ...
Pilot 3. Refrigerator to refrigerator – Food contact demonstration
Upgrading of recycled HIPS from refrigerator liners. Impact modification of HIPS recyclates will be done with the VAREX line for re-application in refrigerator liners and other household appliances. Upgrading towards food contact applications, safety and migration tests will be carried out at VTT and thorough analysis done at UEF. Based on results, the recyclate recipe will be iterated to meet the requirements of food contact materials as a recycled material. ...
Pilot 2. Automotive cooling circuit
Upgrading of recycled PP and EPDM to react together during the Thermoplastic Elastomer Vulcanizate (TPV) elaboration process of a dynamic vulcanization in twin-screw compounder to reach a TPV compound suitable for an automotive application. A TPV will be obtained with those recycled elements in different percentage in order to find the boundaries to fulfil the technical requirements needed for the automotive cooling function and its affection in their elaboration process (twin-screw TPV extrusion line). The champion formulations will be those with the maximum percentage of recyclates that fulfil the technical specifications and allow an elaboration process under control. ...
Pilot 1. Automotive interior
Upgrading recycled PC/ABS material suitable for automotive interior application using injection moulding technology. Different formulations will be developed to analyse and establish the processing window of the materials, the blending and flow property stabilization, the stabilization of PC, the impact of every percentage modification of the recyclates combined with addition of virgin polymers and chain extenders, flow additives, etc. An inline viscosity control of the parameters will help to carry out the screening trials of the new formulations from a processing and performance point of view until a champion formulation will be obtained. ...