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Looking for a technical solution for the recycling of of laminated glass/Windshields particularly the PVB

Country of Origin: Belgium
Reference Number: TRBE20171219001
Publication Date: 22 January 2018

Summary

A Brussels based professional organization of glass recyclers is looking for a technical solution to allow for the recycling of laminated glass/Windshields, particularly the PVB (polyvinylbutyral) fraction. The organisation is looking for companies or universities with an expertise on materials in order to develop and demonstrate them with a technical agreement. This demonstration could take place in the framework of Horizon 2020 projects.

Description

Based in Brussels, the non-profit European organization represents recyclers of any kind of glass in European (EU and non-EU Member States) and non-European countries. These recycling companies have great expertise in the selective collection and sorting of glass in order to separate the non-glass fractions.  
The association is looking for new solution to develop technical cooperation agreement for the recycling of laminated glass/windshields.
Due to the processes used for flat glass recycling, the recycled PVB often (1) is contaminated by various concentrations of glass, (2) has been exposed to natural UV-light and (3) contains variable percentages of water.
In particular the PVB (polyvinylbutyral) in combination with glass in the building and the automotive sector represents a significant potential of secondary raw material for the circular economy and it is one of the major remaining by-product of their sorting activity of flat glass.

PVB is used notably in
- laminated glass as construction materials
- Windshields of cars
More than 90% of the sorted glass is sold as product with a European End of Waste status. The organisation is therefore looking for a technical solution for its members to be able to recycle this PVB fraction.

The ideal solution would be the reuse of recycled PVB in the production of laminated glass.
Alternative applications in the textile or polymer industry, whether or not in combination with other polymers, seem more realistic on a shorter-term basis.

The organisation is looking for companies or universities with an expertise on materials, operating the materials treatment and offering solutions ideally already at TLR 5 in order to further develop and demonstrate this technical solution under a technical agreement.

Under one option, this demonstration could take place in the framework of Horizon 2020 projects for the following topics :
- CE-SC5-07-2018-2019-2020: Raw materials innovation for the circular economy: sustainable processing, reuse, recycling and recovery schemes (IA)
- CE-SPIRE-10-2018 : efficient recycling processes for plastic containing materials (IA)

Expertise sought

The PVB used in combination with glass in the building and the automotive sector represents a significant potential of secondary raw material for the circular economy.
As the specifications for the raw PVB-material required by the glass industry are very high and specific (e.g. specific plasticizers), it is common practice to use virgin PVB.

Due to the processes used for flat glass recycling, the recycled PVB often (1) is contaminated by various concentrations of glass, (2) has been exposed to natural UV-light and (3) contains variable percentages of water.

Nowadays, available outlets for recycled PVB are rather limited and do not generally fully exploit the specific characteristics and properties of PVB. As a consequence, recycled PVB is generally used in low-profile production of SRF (solid recovered fuel) or even landfilled.

Glass recyclers are prepared to upgrade the present purity grade of recycled PVB if well-defined specifications are set by potential users of such well-sorted PVB.
In other words, the glass recyclers are prepared to invest in specific sorting and storage facilities if a demand for a well-defined quality of PVB at an acceptable price can be guaranteed for a significant yearly volume.

Ideally, recycled PVB should be in the production of laminated glass with the collaboration of universities or companies operating the materials treatment.
However on a short term basis, it would probably be more realistic to foresee alternative applications in the textile or polymer industry, in combination or not with other polymers.

If possible, the solution should be already at TRL 5. Ideed, should the option of a Horizon 2020 be pursued, the following TRL are required :
- Toppic CE-SC5-07-2018-2019-2020 requires the achievement of TRL 6-7 at the end of the project
- Topic CE-SPIRE-10-2018 requires the achievement of TRL 7 at the end of the project.

Requested partner

Partners would be charge with the demonstration of this technical solution. A technical cooperation agreement could be foreseen with universities or compagnies operating the materials treatment. 

Should funding be needed for this cooperation, the demonstration could be envisaged in the framework of a Horizon 2020 project. The Brussels-based organisation has identified with its NCP the following topics :
- CE-SC5-07-2018-2019-2020: Raw materials innovation for the circular economy: sustainable processing, reuse, recycling and recovery schemes, and more specifically for the following subtopics:
b) Recycling of raw materials from end-of-life products (2018, 2019)
d) Recycling of raw materials from buildings (2018-2019)
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/ce-sc5-07-2018-2019-2020.html
CE-SPIRE-10-2018 : efficient recycling processes for plastic containing materials (IA).
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/ce-spire-10-2018.html
For such a project, both other partners and a coordinator would be needed.

Cooperation offer ist closed for requests