Forschung für den Mittelstand - Die IGF-Projektdatenbank

Hochleistungselastomere mit hoher Recycling-Fähigkeit

Elastomers are elastic composites with exceptional properties like high elasticity, chemical resistance and durability which make them indispensable in a lot of applications. Unlike other materials like metals or glass, elastomers cannot be recycled at ease. The current methods for their recycling are either too expensive, end up in materials of minor quality and/or have poor efficiency. Consequently, the rubber market generates a vast amount of waste (> 13.5 Mill. tpa). To avoid landfilling and to reuse the material in sense of the Green Deal of the EU and of Circular Economy, more efficient recycling systems for rubber materials have to be developed. The main objective of RECYBER is to develop new processes to produce rubber materials that will significantly improve the recyclability rate and the quality of the recyclates by developing crosslinking bonds based on reversible or exchangeable chemical bonds. Additionally, the reversible/exchangeable cross-linking bridges will be integrated by the reaction of the rubber with bio-based nanofillers that will also function as reinforcing filler of the elastomer matrix. These fillers will enable the replacement of common inorganic fillers and fossil fillers (carbon black).The project will be performed by a Walloon RTO (CELABOR), a Walloon university (ULIEGE) and a German RTO (DIK) that will all bring complementary expertises. The developed processes could be ultimately implemented in the Walloon and German SMEs involved in the manufacturing and/or reprocessing or rubber products without specific investments. These SMEs would be able to propose innovative products with lower environmental impact, improved CO2 footprint and potentially with lower prices when the recycling channel will be set up. The possibility to propose innovative solutions not found in their competitors (esp. the Asian ones) will allow the Walloon and German SMEs to enter new markets and significantly increase their turnover and number of employees.