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Recycling of Metal-Plastic Compounds and Hybrid Materials

By financing the project-network ForCYCLE with € 3 million the Bavarian state government supports the development of innovative recycling processes with a main interest on metals, composites, building materials and biogenic polymers over a period of 3 years (2014 – 2016)1)
In a subproject the CreaSolv® Process is explored as gentle separation of metal-plastic compounds and their individual recovery is studied.

Galvanized plastic parts are applied in the automotive and sanitary area and metallic components over-molded with plastic (e.g. junction boxes, cable connectors) are used in the electro(nic) industry.

2015 Forcycle KaskadeToday such compounds are shredded during the waste treatment, in order to recover the metals whereas the plastic fraction is not taken care of and ends up in the incinerator.

Based on the ability to selectively dissolve plastics from metals, the CreaSolv® Process not only allows for higher metal yields, but also for the recovery of plastics in good quality, so that a re-use is possible.

Besides the University of Augsburg – Scientific Centre Environment, the Fraunhofer Institute IVV also cooperates with the following industry partners in order to incorporate comprehensive Know-how:

  • LÖMIDissolve, drying
  • HBW Gubesch - Plastic Engineering, Thermoforming
  • SitraplastPlastic Compounds
  • SysplastRe-granulates & Compounds
  • WAFA -Plastics engineering, injection molding, galvanisation

The objective of the project is the development of process-cascades consisting of existing techniques for 3 selected compound waste streams, which are of interest from an economical point of view. Among others examined were

  1. electrical components (copper - PBT polybutylene terephthalate)2),
  2. galvanized automotive parts, CD-ROMs (ABS, PC)3, 4)
  3. carbon fiber composite materials (PA6, PUR, EP)5, 6)

The CreaSolv® Process is part of such cascades, because of its versatility and separation effectiveness. The results have been published in the articles listed below.

 2016 Forcycle Youtube 1Please click on picture to watch the video.

 

ForCYCLE Final Report „Recycling von Metall-Kunststoffverbunden und Hybridwerkstoffen (Dezember 2016)Link

Literature:

  1. 2017 ForCYCLE Broschüre - Link
  2. Recycling 2017.06 - F. Knappich*, F. Hartl, M. Schlummer and A.Mäurer: "Complete Recycling of Composite Material Comprising Polybutylene Terephtalate and Copper" - Link
  3. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - 23 February 2018, pp 1-12; Fabian Knappich*, Martin Schlummer, Andreas Mäurer, Harald Prestel – „A new approach to metal- and polymer-recovery from metallized plastic waste using mechanical treatment and subcritical solvents” - Link
  4. RECOVERY 2/2018; F. Knappich*, L.Hoffmann, D. Knauer, R. Patalewski - "Eine Glanzleistung - Neues Verfahren zur vollständigen werkstofflichen Verwertung von Galvanikabfällen" - Link
  5. EXPERIENCE COMPOSITES 21 - 23 Sept. 2016 in Augsburg; F. Knappich*, M. Klotz, M. Schlummer, A. Maeurer: "Solvent-based Recycling of Carbon Fiber reinforced Polymers (CFRP) with the CreaSolv® Process" - Link
  6. Waste Management 85 (2019) 73-81; Fabian Knappich, M. Klotz, M. Schlummer, J. Wölling, A. Mäurer - "Recycling process for carbon fiber reinforced plastics with polyamide 6, polyurethane and epoxy matrix by gentle solvent treatment" - Link