search.noResults

search.searching

saml.title
dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
INNOVATIONS | POLYURETHANES


Right: Rampf Eco Solutions boasts expertise in the formulation of PUR systems for products such as mattresses based on its own polyols


post-industrial production scrap. Nora Lardiés-Miazza works in the Chemical


Recycling Group of Aimplas. She says: “In the Foam2Foam project, the goal is to examine the viability of glycolysis for pre-consume polyurethane foams, which consists of chemical depolymeriza- tion by breaking the polymer chains with chemical agents (including a solvent, generally in the presence of a catalyst) under specific, controlled reaction conditions. “Since, currently, the chemical recycling of


polyurethane is not a widespread practice and is not economically viable, especially in plants with a treatment capacity of more than 8,000 tonnes a year, in the Foam2Foam project modular plants are being built with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes a year and link several modules together. In the case of post-consumer flexible PU foams, the main challenges to make high value products through suitable chemical recycling ways is the unknown and inhomogeneous compositions of foams. The analysis and clear separation before the solvolysis process are imperative and previous treatment of the post-consumer flexible foam material (collec- tion, disassembly, grinding, cleaning, etc.) have a great influence in waste foam processing. Based on this, different large companies, SMEs, local authori- ties of different regions and research institutes developed a closed loop concept for post-consum- er scrap flexible foam polyurethanes within the UrbanRec project framework.” The EU-sponsored UrbanRec project, which ended in late 2019, looked at prevention, collec- tion, sorting, separation, crushing of bulky waste,


and special treatments for materials or products flows obtained. Project partners from seven EU countries represented the complete bulky waste value chain.


Aimplas says construction of the solvolysis pilot


plant at Gaiker’s facilities should be finished before the end of June. “If the results are favourable, they will be put into industrial use as soon as possible,” says a representative. The glycolysis technology and equipment were developed by Gaiker itself. One of the members of the UrbanRec project


was Rampf Eco Solutions in Permasens, Germany. It has developed chemical processes for obtaining high-value recycled polyols from plastic waste such as mattresses and upholstery. Frank Dürsen, Head of Future & Sustainability at


the Rampf Group, says recycled polyols obtained from bulky waste using glycolysis and acidolysis have already been successfully used for the manufacture of high-quality adhesives, foams, insulation materials, and solvents. RAMPF Eco Solutions is expert in developing chemical solutions for the manufacture of high- quality alternative polyols. It already has two large facilities where it makes polyols from PUR residues. It says the basic polyols are integrated back into the production process of customers. The company has also developed a chemical


process for making what it calls “alternative polyols” from various polyesters (including PLA and PHB) and various other bio-based raw materials. Rampf has an installation for the chemical


Above: Chemical recycling plant for polyols developed by Rampf. In two of the largest multi-functional plants in Europe, tailored polyols are manufactured from PU waste materials or PET/PSA using solvolysis (glycolysis, acidolysis, and polyolysis). After being recycled through either Rampf Eco Solutions or another PU systems house, the resulting basic polyols are integrated back into the customer’s production process


34 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | January/February 2021


recycling of flexible PUR foam in Pirmasens, which has been in operation since 2012. Further back, in 1998, it built a small plant for a customer in automo- tive, which recycled PU soft foam. Rampf is now active in selling the technology and the necessary chemical expertise. Together with German plant construction company Keil Anlagenbau, it also designs and builds customised plants for the conversion of nearly every kind of PUR and PET


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


IMAGE: RAMPF


IMAGE: RAMPF


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52