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For PAL, it means the possibility to scale something that is already a working prototype up to industrial scale for the commercial market.
In general terms, the process of recycling waste MDF fractions into usable MDF fibres centres on hydrolysis. Waste MDF fractions are immersed in hot water and energy used to break the glue bond, separating the fibres. After this process, the recycled fibres undergo a selection process, and the chosen recycled fibre is cleaned/dried before being ready to use.
The whole recycling process is designed to create a waste fibre that has a similar moisture content as virgin wood. The benefits of fibre recycling systems are not limited to being able to use waste MDF fibres, but also, says Mr Ballarin, in the efficiency of the system itself. “We are able to recycle the water and the heat used in the system.”
FIRST COMMERCIAL CONTRACT The difference in fibre recycling capacity from a prototype to a big plant is approximately from 150kg/hr to about 2.5 tonnes/hr throughput, says Mr Ballarin.
The first commercial plant to be supplied will be between those two figures at about 750kg/hr, with a contract now signed between PAL and MDF mouldings manufacturer W Howard.
W Howard, a longtime supporter of MDFR, will set up a plant to recycle waste MDF and manufacture loose woodfibre insulation for sale. It represents a multi-year licence for W Howard, with the insulation product being sold in the UK and Irish markets. “This project with W Howard gives us the possibility to scale up the MDFR system. We can connect the plant to the cleaning system to create a solution that is very sustainable in terms of energy and water consumption.”
W Howard believes the new partnership will create an entirely new closed loop supply chain that can convert end-of-life MDF products back into wood fibre for insulation. This will also help to provide a much-needed new source of natural insulation – one of Europe’s fastest growing market sectors. The new recycling facility is being sited in Newtown, Powys.
When W Howard announced its intention to build such a facility last year, Jonathan Grant, group chief executive, said the company was showing it was putting the environment at the very centre of its business. “Once production begins in 2024 our valued customers will be able to buy our MDF products safe in the knowledge that they can be recycled at the end of their natural life, offering a closed loop supply chain,” he said.
TARGETING PANEL MANUFACTURERS Of course, it is the intention of PAL and MDFR to supply complete fibre recycling solutions to global board manufacturers themselves.
“Now we can say that we are selling this system, so it is a real industrial system,” added Mr Ballarin.
He said that MDF fibre recycling systems supplied for MDF production will be different to that of the first UK project, with each commercial enquiry likely to have specific requests. “We are starting to speak to MDF manufacturers with a view to technology supply and I think we will agree something maybe within 2024. Obviously, to have an industrial plant operating that we can show to the MDF producer is very important. “We have many requests from companies asking to come and visit us and for meetings. We feel there is a high demand for this type of technology, and we will be ready for the next step within the MDF industry this year.” One of the key questions from interested
parties will be what the commercial viability is for an MDF manufacturer to invest in the recycling systems.
Mr Ballarin said board manufacturers can easily make cost comparisons between using virgin wood fibre and recycled fibres, while there were obviously energy costs to the MDF fibre recycling process. But PAL says the return on investment on the technology itself is around three years – earlier if you use a higher proportion of recycled fibre in a new board and waste MDF material can be sourced locally to the factory. Material availability and costs will of course differ in different countries. “This system is easy to adapt not only to an MDF plant but also for woodfibre insulation manufacture, and we are making interesting tests also for particleboard.” Another reason why PAL and MDFR think they will find takers on the market is because it can supply a fairly small system without specialist operators and due to the advanced nature of the cleaning and sorting technologies. PAL is also doing R&D with the hydrolysis technology on particleboard waste fractions and can’t yet go into detail on this but expects to update in the future. In summary, PAL and MDFR have reached a major milestone in the commercialisation of the MDFR process, with a first project getting started in the UK and conversations happening with MDF producers about the potential supply of the solution for including recycled MDF fibre in new MDF board production. “We are very excited in PAL about this project,” concluded Mr Ballarin. “We know competition is strong and it is not an easy project, it’s ambitious for sure. But we are completely sure we can bring our expertise to a success in this application. This project involves PAL 100% and involves the whole IMALPAL Group.” ■
Above left: PAL Cyclops Optical Sorter Above right: Disaggregator for the MDF fi bre
www.ttjonline.com | September/October 2024 | TTJ
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