Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20250521010
- Term of Validity
- 21 May 2025 - 21 May 2026
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
Contact the EEN partner nearest to you for more information.
Find my local partner
General information
- Short Summary
- An institute at a German university has developed a process for separating plastic composites and is thus making them accessible for recycling. For this purpose, an intermediate layer is injection molded or co-extruded between the plastic components so that only this layer can be melted. The related technology concept has been formulated (TRL2) and industrial partners are sought to refine the technology.
- Full Description
-
Plastic composite recycling is greatly valued in today’s world. It is becoming increasingly important to recycle not only packaging, but also technical components. The current trend is to manufacture components from multi-material composites, but this is contrary to the single material requirement for recycling. Many components, such as vehicle dashboards, are manufactured by spraying a thin thermoplastic elastomer layer over a thermoplastic substrate. The combination of materials is selected to optimize bonding. It is then impossible to separate the layers out again for recycling. The only remaining recycling solution is often either thermal recovery (incineration) or non-pure recycling for use in applications with lower material requirements. Or such components can be disposed of or separated by means of solvents, but the latter solution is expensive and environmentally harmful.
To address these challenges a plastics technologyy institute at a German university developed a method for separating such composites. It uses an intermediate layer injected or co-extruded between the plastic components. This layer is selected to provide sufficient bonding in the operating temperature range, and a defined stimulation (thermal conduction or induction) can cause that only this layer melts. This allows plastics to be separated for single material recycling.
There are market opportunities as legislators are increasingly moving towards quotas for product material recycling. The automotive industry in particular is expecting measures to be introduced. However regardless of legal requirements, recyclability enhances product attractiveness to consumers. The method can be used with any application in which two types of plastic are firmly joined together. This includes multi-layer pipes, technical components, plastic panels, pressed parts, and much more.
The invention is technology readiness level TRL 2 The technology concept has been formulated. The university is offering interested companies the opportunity for joint technology refinement. - Advantages and Innovations
-
This affordable new technology will facilitate recycling and reduce waste. Advantages include:
• Very pure recycled material
• Lower energy requirements - Stage of Development
- Concept stage
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- IPR status
- IPR granted
- IPR notes
- European patent granted.
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
- The university is offering interested plastics-processng companies the opportunity for joint technology refinement to apply in their area of application..
- Type and Size of Partner
- Big company
- SME 11-49
- SME 50 - 249
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 10003004 - Recycling, Recovery
- 02007014 - Plastics, Polymers
- Market keywords
- 08001018 - Polymer (plastics) materials
- 08001001 - Plastic fabricators
- 08001005 - Other fabricated plastics
- 08001004 - Fibre-reinforced (plastic) composites
- 08004002 - Chemical and solid material recycling
- Sector Groups Involved
- Energy-Intensive Industries - Materials
- Targeted countries
- Afghanistan
- Aland Islands
- Albania
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Antarctica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Bouvet Island
- Brazil
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Christmas Island
- Cocos Islands
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French Southern Territories
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guernsey
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- Netherlands Antilles
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestinian Territory
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Pitcairn
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Republic of the Congo
- Reunion
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Barthelemy
- Saint Helena
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Sint Maarten
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor Leste
- Togo
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- United States Minor Outlying Islands
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Wallis and Futuna
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
