Science

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluorine-based polymer with a wide range of applications, including non-stick cookware production and electrical and optical fiber cable coating, owing to its high durability, thermal stability, and low friction. Ironically, its durability also presents an environmental challenge for its disposal.

The steel industry is one of the world’s largest CO2 emitters, contributing around 8% of global CO2 emissions. A particularly challenging area is the thermal steel processes, which were responsible for up to 39 billion tons of CO2 emissions globally in 2021 due to natural gas combustion. Can hydrogen be the solution for this emission-heavy sector?

Multilayer plastic materials present a major challenge at the end of their life cycle due to the complexity of separating and processing their different components. This difficulty leads to lower recycling efficiency and increases the amount of waste ending up in landfills or incinerators.

The SOPHIA project aims to increase the current reuse, repair and recycling rates of end-of-life solar panels.

Cellulose-based textile materials can make the clothing sector more sustainable. Currently, cellulose-based textiles are mainly made from wood, but a study headed by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden points to the possibility of using agricultural waste from wheat and oat. The method is easier and requires fewer chemicals than manufacturing forest-based cellulose, and can enhance the value of waste products from agriculture.

The DACCO2 project works with materials with high adsorption capacity and photocatalytic properties capable of capturing and/or oxidizing pollutants and transforming them into compounds with low or no toxicity. Laurentia Technologies, Alfarben, and Toldos Costa Blanca are collaborating on this research to improve urban air quality, funded by IVACE+i and the ERDF.

Aimplas has developed a methodology that enables the biodegradability of plastic materials to be assessed three times faster than conventional testing methods. This solution allows companies to streamline decision-making in the development of compostable materials.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biocompatible and biodegradable plastics in soil and marine environments synthesised by a wide variety of microorganisms, which share very similar characteristics with plastics of petrochemical origin.