NEWS
A solvent-based process has been shown to be successful in recycling PVC flooring while separating plasticiser content
Circular flooring group confirms breakthrough
It is possible to produce plasticiser- free PVC recyclates from flexible floor coverings using a solvent-based process jointly developed by Fraun- hofer IVV and CreaCycle, according to the Circular Flooring consortium following lengthy research. The recovered PVC complies with EU
Reach legislation and can therefore be used to produce new PVC flooring, supporting the EU objective of estab- lishing a European circular economy. In addition, the consortium said it has has demonstrated the technical feasibility of the process on a pilot scale, paving the way for a shift to commercial dimen- sions. The Fraunhofer Institute for Processing Engineering and Packaging (IVV) in Freising, Germany, carried out the project together with ten compa- nies and research facilities from five European countries. Due to product requirements which
were not covered by the project, the recyclate is not used in the top layer of flooring but can replace up to 100% of virgin PVC in non-visible layers. Furthermore, the critical legacy
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plasticisers that are removed during the process can be converted into uncritical Reach-compliant substances. “The quality of the PVC recyclate
produced on a pilot scale is very good, conforming to EU standards and permitting reuse in new PVC products,” said Fraunhofer IVV’s Dr Martin Schlummer, who coordinated the project. “Transforming the separated plasticisers into Reach- compliant products proved more chemically complex than we had at first imagined. Nevertheless, we were ultimately successful.” At the end of 2023, Fraunhofer IVV opened a large-scale pilot plant at its premises in Freising, which was used in the Circular Flooring project to produce pure PVC recyclates. The pilot plant is also available to other sectors such as the automotive, packaging or construction industries seeking to test recyclates from solvent-based recy- cling in connection with applications. �
www.circular-flooring.eu �
www.ivv.fraunhofer.de �
www.creasolv.de
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August 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 13
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK / 8TH CREATOR
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