This project has received funding fromEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 researchand innovation programme under grantagreement N°820895
Nontox
Removing hazardous substancesto increase the recycling rates ofWEEE, ELV and CDW plastics
Nazarena Vincenti
Electronics Goes Green Conference 2020
NONTOX in shortBudget 5 million euros
Duration 3 years (2019-2022)
Partners 5 research institutes, 4 recyclers, 2 universities, 1 PRO
From Spain, Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden
2
The challengePlastics are nowadays used in a large variety of applications because of their
widely properties. To ensure certain properties and specific characteristics plastics
are mixed with additives such as flame retardants, stabilizers and
plasticisers.
Over the years, some of these additives have been classified as “hazardous”
resulting in a challenge for the recycling sector.
EU plastics converters demand in 2018
51.2 Mt
Electrical & Electronic 6.2%
Automotive9.9%
Building & Construction19.8%
Packaging39,9%
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The solutions
The NONTOX scenario starts from the same dismantling and sorting stages currently
applied adopting several innovative processes (CreaSolv®, Extruclean,
thermochemical conversion) developed for removing toxic compounds from plastics of
interest and enhancing recycling rates.
Innovative processes
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The input streams
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
• End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV)
• Construction & Demolition Waste (C&DW)
CreaSolv® is a solvent based technology
• Dissolution → mixed plastic waste from the different streams is
dissolved in a safe solvent
• Purification → after the dissolution of target polymers the
resulting solution is mechanically cleaned to separate non
target polymers, pollutants and metal
The innovative processes
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CreaSolv® is a solvent based technology
• Precipitation → the solution is precipitated and then cleaned by
solvent extraction and legacy additives like brominated
flame retardants are separated
• Drying → the extract is separated from the polymer to be
recycled whereas the polymers undergo a drying and a
granulation step
The innovative processes
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The innovative processes
8
Extruclean is a mechanical recycling technology
• Sc-CO2 allows extracting diverse undesired
components
• hazardous substances are volatilized and
extracted from the polymer melt during extrusion
degassing with a vacuum pump
• Removed substances will be adsorbed in
activated carbon-based filters
• Filters could be recycled thermochemically to
recover bromine or otherwise ensuring safe
disposal by a hazardous waste management
company
The methodology• Definition of samples to be analyzed
• Determination of halogen content on samples
• Preparation of the samples and material
sorting by means of density separation
• Determination of halogen content according
to density fractions
• Solvent base material characterization
• Specific analysis of halogenated contaminants
in input streams
The methodology
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• Definition of samples to be analyzed
• Determination of halogen content on samples using ED-XRF
KR1549 Sludge WEEE
KR1507 ABS SDA/ICT
KR1508 PP/PE SDA/ICT
KR1509 PS SDA/ICT
KR1512 Plastic mix >1.1 SDA
KR1533 Plastic Mix SDA
KR1490 Plastic Mix SDA
KR1532 Plastic Mix LHA
KR1511 Plastic mix >1.1 ICT
KR1489 Plastic Housing Mix Flat Screen
KR1536 Plastic Mix ELV
KR1543heavy fraction ABS PS PE/PP >1.0 ELV
KR1544heavy fraction XRT Residue ELV
KR1545 light fraction PE/PP <1.0 ELV
KR1550 Plastic mix small <1,0 ELV
KR1551 heavy fraction small >1,0 ELV
44 samples received
2 waste streams → WEEE, ELV
Description Source Br [ppm]Cl
[ppm]
KR1547 Dust WEEE 1,330 3,742.3
KR1548 Fines (mostly Inorganic) WEEE 3,576.7 9,800
KR1549 Sludge WEEE 3,570 9,000
KR1507 ABS SDA/ICT 1,197 1,124.7
KR1508 PP/PE SDA/ICT 380.4 704.7
KR1517 Dust shredder SDA/ICT 6,610.7 2,917
KR1512 Plastic mix >1.1 SDA 15,027 10,077
KR1533 Plastic Mix SDA 5,563 7,550.3
KR1490 Plastic Mix SDA 13,947.5 11,652.5
Example
The methodology
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• Preparation of the samples and material sorting by means of density
separation
i. shredding of the input material
i. Density separation → 4 density fractions
BEFORE AFTER
Density (g/cm3) Polymers
1 < 1.0 PE, PP
2 1.0 – 1.1 ABS, PS (non-halogenated)
3 1.1 – 1.25ABS, PS (halogeneted)
PC, soft PVC, PMMA
4 > 1.25 POM, hard PVC
> 1,25 kg/L: PVC, POM
1,08-1,25 kg/L: ABS+Br, PS+Br, PC/ABS
0,99-1,08 kg/L: ABS, PS
< 0,99 kg/L: PP, PE
loss24%
31%
30%
7%
8%
The methodology
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• Preparation of the samples and material sorting by means of density separation
iii. XRF analysis on each density fraction
iv. Determination of flame retardants in density fraction 1.1 – 1.25 g/cm3
• Solvent based material characterization
• Specific analysis of halogenated contaminants in input streams applying GC-ECD
<0,99 kg/L 1,0-1,08 kg/L 1,08-1,25 kg/L >1,25 kg/L
PE
PP
Residue
lossABS and Residue
PS
loss
PS ( +Br)
ABS (+Br)
PC/ABS
dirt, PMMA, soft PVC
small insoluble material
rough insoluble material
loss
not furtherconsidered
CreaSolv® is a solvent based technology
Preliminary tests to specify most promising process parameters
Tests on laboratory scale
FEEDSTOCK
Plastic mix fraction 1.1 – 1.25 g/cm3
Input materialDissolution Filtration Extraction
Drying
Shredding
GranulesExample
CreaSolv® is a solvent based technology
To lower the halogen content → SUBSEQUENT dissolution and precipitation steps
Tests on laboratory scale
Number of extraction steps depend
on TYPE(S) and LEVELS of HFR
in the input stream
Name SourceCalculated percentage removal of
BFR substances [%]
Cool_20_07 CRT 99
Galea_20_04 WEEE 97
Relight_20_03 SDA 85
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Tests on laboratory scale
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Extruclean is a mechanical recycling technology
11 samples received
1 waste stream → WEEE
KR1507 ABS SDA/ICT
KR1508 PP/PE SDA/ICT
KR1509 PS SDA/ICT
KR1510 HIPS fridge Description Source Br [ppm] Cl [ppm]
KR1507 ABS SDA/ICT 1,197 1,124.7
KR1508 PP/PE SDA/ICT 380.4 704.7
KR1509 PS SDA/ICT 173.1 406.2
KR1510 HIPS fridge 75.5 386.1
Example
Tests on laboratory scale
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Extruclean is a mechanical recycling technology
Selection of line components and
adaptation → extrusion trials
Sample KR1509
BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER
Sample KR1510
decontaminated samples to be
CHARACTERIZED
Thermochemical conversion
Non-target plastic waste fraction and
by-prodcuts residues of Creasolv and
Extruclean processes have been sent to the
thermochemical conversion
18 samples received
2 waste streams → WEEE, ELV
1 sample → residue from Creasolv® process
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Conclusions & future steps
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• samples have been screened for halogen content;
• flame retardants contained in input steams have been identify;
• plastic fractions have been allocated to the suitable processes;
• CreaSolv® tests at laboratory scale pointed out a removal of hazardous
substances of >98% is feasible;
• CreaSolv® by-products have been handled to thermochemical conversion for
further valorization;
• CreaSolv® process will be up-scaled to small technical scale, further trials will
be carried out;
• parameters of Extruclean process were optimized and further trials are
scheduled.
This project has received funding fromEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 researchand innovation programme under grantagreement N°820895
Thanks for the attention
http://nontox-project.eu/
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