EngiSphere’s Post

Paper Alert! 🚨 Are you curious about the recyclability potential of post-consumer wastes? 🌍♻️ Our latest research, published in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science, investigates the challenges of mechanical recycling. In our paper titled “Recyclability of Take-Back Glass Fiber-Reinforced Blends of Polyphenylene Oxide with High-Impact Polystyrene for High-Performance Engineering Applications”, we explore the potential of establishing a closed-loop recycling system for composites. These materials have been through a life cycle as actual products, in pump applications, and have been reclaimed through a take-back scheme. This paper is the outcome of Tanmay Mogre’s MSc thesis, conducted in collaboration with GRUNDFOS and the Danish Polymer Center, DTU. Tanmay's hard work and approach drove this research forward :) A big thank you to all the co-authors Anders Egede Daugaard & Michael Lei for their valuable contributions, which made this publication possible! Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to Innovation Fund Denmark for supporting our research. For more information, here is the link: https://lnkd.in/dUEYfQ_b

Join us on 3 July to hear from Inês Leite from CITEVE. Inês will be discussing the "Applications of Biopolyesters in Textiles." 🧶 Inês Leite holds a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Minho and is currently in the final year of her master's degree in the same field. As part of the Waste2BioComp project, she is completing her dissertation at CITEVE, focusing on alternative technologies for producing PHA-based fibres, coatings, and non-woven fabrics. Join us to gain insights from leading researchers and innovators in the field of sustainable materials! Register here 👉 https://lnkd.in/djsWmU8F #Bioeconomy #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Innovation #W2BC #Biopolyesters #Textile

Breaking news in the fight against plastic pollution! A team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed an artificial “worm gut” to break down plastics. By isolating gut bacteria from worms, they’ve eliminated the need for large-scale worm breeding. This nature-inspired tech could revolutionize our approach to plastic waste management. 🌍🔬🪱 At FEA we firmly believe that engineering solutions to challenges like this represent the future. Read the full article linked in our bio! #TechBreakthrough #PlasticSolution #WormingOurWayToABetterPlanet #engineering #engineerlife #mechanicalengineer #electricalengineer #lowvoltage #lasvegasengineer #nowhiring #FEAconsulting

Eighteen months into EU-Project r-LightBioCom, the project has witnessed noteworthy achievements in each development area of the project. Here are 7 KEY TAKEAWAYS from our 18-Month Review Meeting. ✅ 1️⃣ Significant progress has been made on bio-resins and bio-based nano-additives, with a goal of achieving over 50% bio-content in high-performance composites. 2️⃣ Sustainable fibres have been selected, and the first samples based on the project’s use cases have been manufactured. 3️⃣ Fast-curing technologies like resin transfer moulding (RTM), photopolymerization, and vacuum infusion with microwave curing have defined parameters, with testing of bio-resins and fabrics next. 4️⃣ Big wins in recycling! Mechanical and chemical recycling using bio-solvents achieved up to 90% resin removal, and next, these methods will be applied to bio-resins and bio-composites. 5️⃣ Test campaigns for core materials has been conducted, and the results will now be analyzed for the Coupled Ecological Optimisation (CEO) framework. 6️⃣ Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of conventional resins have been completed and work on new ones is in progress. Most fibers are modeled, and production processes are nearly finalized. Recycling models are being refined, starting with the trunk floor for use cases. 7️⃣ Use case requirements have been identified, and the next step is implementing r-LightBioCom materials for validation in each use case. FOLLOW US on LinkedIn to stay updated. 🔵 LEARN MORE about EU Project r-LightBioCom at www.r-lightbiocom.eu 🌱 #rLightBioCom #HorizonEurope #BioBasedMaterials #HighPerformanceComposites #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Recycling #KeyTakeaways AITEX • Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya • Hochschule Kaiserslautern • Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH (IVW) • AEP Polymers • CIDAUT • FeyeCon • FECSA - FÁBRICA ESPAÑOLA DE CONFECCIONES • Coventry University • German Aerospace Center (DLR) • Gen 2 Carbon • ACCIONA • Centro Ricerche Fiat • ACITURRI

🗓️ **Online #Open #Innovation #Workshop: 4 December 2024, 11:00-13:00** ANTICIPATORY LCA TO PROMOTE INFORMED DECISION-MAKING IN BIO-BASED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Join us for an online workshop focused on #Life_Cycle_Assessment (LCA), a vital tool for product sustainability and #Ecodesign. LCA plays a crucial role in the research and innovation of biobased materials by evaluating environmental impacts alongside costs from development through to the end-of-life stage. It aids in optimizing processes, comparing sustainability with fossil-based products, and encouraging sustainable practices among stakeholders. However, implementing #LCA at low Technology Readiness Levels (“anticipatory” LCA) faces challenges due to limited data—such as raw material quality, process yields, substance safety profiles, and energy requirements. This workshop will bring together experts from the BIORING and SuperBark projects to discuss effective strategies for LCA analysis of biobased materials. **Key Questions:**⁉️ - How do we define benchmark materials for new products? Are they substitutes or entirely new? - What methods can be used to gather critical data on novel biobased products throughout their life cycle? - What assumptions exist when scaling up from lab to industrial settings? - How can LCA results inform decision-making in the bio-based industry? **Who Should Attend?** Researchersh and Industry experts, partners of European and national research projects active on similar topics. This is an opportunity for knowledge exchange, helping to accelerate the development of sustainable bio-coatings for high performance industrial applications. Info: info@bioring.eu - www.bioring.eu - www.superbark.eu Bioring Consortium | CSIC | Process Design Center | Keuken & de Koning B.V., process engineers & consultants | GAIKER Centro Tecnológico | Airi - Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca Industriale | TEMAS Solutions | Exportun | GRUPPO COLOROBBIA | Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e. V. (LIKAT) | Vertoro B.V. | FAB Group Universidad Rey Juan Carlos | MAIER Group | MAIER TECHNOLOGY CENTRE | Super Bark Consortium VTT Fraunhofer ICT Institute of Energy Systems and Environment of Riga Technical University Holzforschung Austria - Österreichische Gesellschaft für Holzforschung Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) ICP - Pulp and Paper Institute, Ljubljana TECNALIA Research & Innovation CLIC Innovation Oy ADLER-Coatings / ADLER-Werk Schwaz Metsä Wood GORICANE @kastamonuentegre Projects funded by Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) #Sustainability #InnovationWorkshop #BiobasedMaterials #EnvironmentalImpact #ResearchCollaboration #DataChallenges #BioCoatings #IndustrialApplications #CircularEconomy

Peidong Yang, professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering, worked with his team to design a special device that only needs low-intensity red light to work, allowing it to continuously convert CO₂ into useful chemicals, day and night. This innovation could help reduce CO₂ emissions and produce valuable chemicals for a sustainable future. Read the College of Chemistry’s highlight: bit.ly/3LTQiMQ

Why a review meeting? It is a precious opportunity to look at the project from an external perspective, going beyond the self-referentiality of the project group and welcoming the suggestions of the project officer and the expert. See below the main results achieved during the first 18 months! 

Breaking news in the fight against plastic pollution! A team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed an artificial “worm gut” to break down plastics. By isolating gut bacteria from worms, they’ve eliminated the need for large-scale worm breeding. This nature-inspired tech could revolutionize our approach to plastic waste management. 🌍🔬🪱 At FEA we firmly believe that engineering solutions to challenges like this represent the future. Read the full article linked in our bio! #TechBreakthrough #PlasticSolution #WormingOurWayToABetterPlanet #engineering #engineerlife #mechanicalengineer #electricalengineer #lowvoltage #lasvegasengineer #nowhiring #FEAconsulting

💡Green Synthesis of Polymers @TU Wien! ⚗ A new, #environmentally #friendly process for the synthesis of polymers has been developed. The underlying technique, hydrothermal polymerization (HTP), is inspired by natural mineral formation processes in hot subterranean aquifers in the Earth’s crust. HTP only requires high-temperature water and the desired monomers. Neither organic catalysts nor solvents are necessary. Key advantages: ·        #Greenproduction using only high-temperature water and monomers ·        No toxic solvents, catalysts, or byproducts ·        Low energy consumption as water is easier to remove ·        Applicable to a wide range of monomers   The technology developed by Miriam M. Unterlass, Michael Taubländer, Sophia Thiele and Sebastian Espana-Orozco at Technische Universität Wien allows for many different potential applications in the field of #material #science, e.g.: Organic electronics, Membrane technology, Automotive sector and many more!   Interested in more details? Check out the #technologyoffers: https://lnkd.in/diNZYycj https://lnkd.in/dQiG6Buf https://lnkd.in/d9XvvS8V And feel free to contact Tanja Sovic to learn more about this #innovation! #TUWtech

#OnTheBeamlines: A University of Saskatchewan team has been using our CLS to investigate how to make better, environmentally friendly plastics from non-toxic materials. Researcher Kehinde Falua and his supervisor Bishnu Acharya have developed aerogel materials from faba, lentils and pea starches that may hold promise for replacing traditional plastics as cheaper, biodegradable options. “Developing a fully bio-based and mechanically stable aerogel from an organic source such as pulse starch will definitely be a game changer for many food and non-food packaging industries,” says Falua. From food packaging to construction and textiles, plastic is everywhere – more than 400 million metric tons of plastic were produced globally from crude oil only in 2022. Difficult to break-down, plastic pollutes the environment and negatively impacts the health of humans and animals alike. The research Falua and Acharya are leading at the CLS using our BXDS-WLE (Brockhouse) beamline will help them gather information about the structure and diffraction patterns of the biomaterials to create more stable aerogels. Most of the existing work in this field focuses on developing aerogels from commercial starch such as corn, wheat, cassava and potatoes. Falua and Acharya are among the first to try using air-classified pulse starches, which are mostly considered pulse processing by-products in Saskatchewan. Using these by-products to develop aerogels could also open up new opportunities for pulse producers in the biopolymer industry. “Many researchers are seeking ways of exploring this kind of biomaterials for new applications,” says Acharya, a professor in the USask College of Engineering. “It is very important to predict the performance of the materials as we’re doing with the experiments at the CLS, if we want to use these aerogels for different applications, including potentially for biomedical use.” Photo (from left): Kehinde Falua, Arika Block, Brockhouse summer student, Brockhouse scientist Adam Leontowich, and Bishnu Acharya. #pulse #agriculture #biomaterials #environment #materials #science #research #synchrotron