Professor Erik G. Søgaard, Aalborg Universitet Esbjerg

1. FROM WASTE TO VALUABLE PRODUCTS
Hülya Ucar Sokoli, Erik Gydesen Søgaard
Aalborg University Esbjerg, Denmark
Department of Chemistry and Bioscience
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2. DI 19.01.2016 2
Polymer Composites
• What is a composite?
A composite is the combination of two or
more materials that when combined
together creates a superior and unique
material. Ex. Glass- or carbon fibers held
together with a polymer matrix.

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Thermosets vs. Thermoplastics
• Thermoplastict  Moldable
when heated.
• Thermoset plastic  Crosslinked
by covalent bonds. NOT moldable
when heated

4. Why recycle composites?
400.000 ton composite waste is
deposited on landfills in Europe every
year. This number is increase each year!
Fact: 1 MW wind turbine produce 10 ton
composite waste.
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Reference: Miljøstyrelsen & DTU
www2.mst.dkReference: Miljøstyrelsen
www2.mst.dk
Compositewaste.eu

5. What do we do in Denmark?
Problems in the field of recycling composite waste in Denmark
1. Companies in Denmark can dispose their composite waste
on landfills or incineration plants – No regulations.
Germany forbids companies to landfill their waste!
 Landfilling  No attempt to recycle at all, but cheapest
disposal route
 Incineration  Not always possible. (Where limits are
imposed on the energy content of the waste). The plants
are not suitable for large parts and glass fibre residue can
cause process stoppages.
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6. Genvind – Innovation Consortium
Funded by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation
Sustaniable
recycling of
composite waste
Furniture
Building
panels
New wind
turbine
blades Paint
Fibre
reinforced
concrete
Textiles
Plastic
construc-
tions
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Contec
Dyrup

7. Recycling Technologies
Recycling
Thermoset Polymer
Composites
Thermal
Chemical
Mechanical
Pyrolysis Fludized bed
Glycolysis HydrolysisSolvolysis
Filler
particle
Fibrous
particle
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8. Recycling Technologies
Recycling
Thermoset Polymer
Composites
Thermal
Chemical
Mechanical
Pyrolysis Fludized bed
Glycolysis HydrolysisSolvolysis
Filler
particle
Fibrous
particle
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9. Solvolysis
Batch Reactor
200 -325 ˚C
300 Bar
Methodology
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10. Investigation 1, The fibers
Type of recovery process
Reference Varying Parameters
TENSILE STRENGTH
Gpa % chg.
Fluidised bed
Pickering
(2000)
Standard fiber 2,80 -
450 oC 1,45 -48
550 oC 0,50 -82
650 oC 0,18 -93
Pyrolysis
Cunliffe and Williams
(2003)
Standard fiber 2,02 -
400 oC and oxidized 1,06 -48
450 oC and oxidized 0,71 -65
500 oC and oxidized 1,06 -47
650 oC and oxidized 0,99 -51
800 oC and oxidized 0,36 -82
Knudsen et al.,
(2005)
Standard fiber 3,50 -
450 oC 0,96 -72
600 oC 0,50 -86
Subcritical water Kao et al., (2012)
Standard fiber 2,14 -
350 oC – 5 minutes 0,75 -65
350oC – 5 minutes 1,24 -42
350oC – 5 minutes 0,69 -67
350oC –30 minutes 0,68 -68
300oC – 30 minutes 1,04 -51
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Initial experiments
11
Run Solvent Temperature
[°C]
Pressure
[bar]
Reaction
time
[min]
Composite
covered with
solvent inside
reactor
(%)
Quantity of
solvent
[mL]
# 1 Water 280 300 0 100 250
# 2 Water 280 300 0 100 250
# 3 Water 280 300 30 100 250
# 4 Water 280 300 60 100 250
# 5 Water 300 300 0 100 250
# 6 Water 300 300 0 100 250
# 7 Water 300 300 30 100 250
# 8 Water 300 300 60 100 250

12. Results
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Virgin
fiber
3 4 5 6 7 8
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
Strength[Gpa] Experiment no.

13. Hülya Ucar Sokoli. Mail: ucar@bio.aau.dk No.: + 45 42443116
Fiber Properties - SEM
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14. Investigation 2, Oil recovery
Initial thoughts
There needs to be a higher value (more gain) in the process of recovering
fibers using this technology  Particularly for glass fiber reinforced
composite waste, since more than 95 % of all fiber reinforced waste
originates from glass fibers.
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15. Oil Recovery
Experiments:
50/50 vol. % acetone /water
and a catalyst. Approximately 80 g
composite waste was degraded in
one batch and 250 ml was applied
Process conditions:
300 °C, < 150 bar, 30 min residence
time
Results:
Up to 50 ml oil from one batch.
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16. Is it beneficial?
Costs related to one batch
Production of 50 ml oil costs:
Beneficial because:
1. It is possible to produce oil
simultaneously with the elimination
of a problematic waste product
2. The oil has properties close to
petroleum fuel oil and can
potentially be used as a fuel oil
3. The long range of chemicals
produced through acetone aldol
reactions are valuable
petrochemical feedstock.
4. In fact, up to 20 g/L was found
through quantification of one of
the high value chemicals.
Assay: 98%
Quantity: 1 g
Price (USD): $ 3,040 / 1 g (FOB, NY, USA)
Lead time: 2 weeks
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0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Kr.
2,5
0,1
Acetone Catalyst Energy
Consumption
0,50

17. Hülya Ucar Sokoli. Mail: ucar@bio.aau.dk No.: + 45 42443116
Recovery of chemicals
Composite waste
Recovered
Resin
Recovered
carbon/glass
fibers
Recovered
solvent
Solvent
200-325 ˚C,
40-300 bar
Monomers
Chemicals
Fuel
New
materials
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18. Hülya Ucar Sokoli. Mail: ucar@bio.aau.dk No.: + 45 42443116
Recovery of chemicals
Composite waste
Recovered
Resin
Recovered
carbon/glass
fibers
Recovered
solvent
Solvent
200-325 ˚C,
40-300 bar
Monomers
Chemicals
Fuel
New
materials
Great potential
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19. Succes of turning other kind of waste
into valuable products
RIBE BIOGAS A/S startet in
1990. Biggest biogas plant in
the world in the beginning.
Farmers disposed their
manure waste at the
biogas plant
Slaughterhouses disposed
their waste at the biogas
plant
The biogas plant received
money from the farmers
and slaughterhouses back
then.
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20. More work done so far
• Up scaling from 250 mL to 1 L
• Microwave assisted degradation
• Investigations of different solvents activity in
solvolysis
• Chemical analysis of chemicals from the
elimination of resins from several composite
types
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21. More work to be done
• Reuse of resins for the production of new
composites (in collaboration with DTU)
• Reaction kinetical investigations of the
elimination process in up-scaled reactor in
collaboration with Force Technology
• Use of inorganic binder (Aalbinder) in the
reuse of partly purified fibres
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22. Thank you
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Hülya Ucar Sokoli. Mail: ucar@bio.aau.dk No.: + 45 42443116

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Tak for jeres opmærksomhed 
Spørgsmål?
egs@bio.aau.dk
ucar@bio.aau.dk