Microwaves applied to recycling processes

Our microwave laboratory is designed to study recycling processes that are heated using microwave waves (MW). CIRCE can carry out microwave-assisted solvolysis and pyrolysis processes.

In solvolysis, a solvent capable of degrading a polymeric material is heated to a temperature of around 200ºC, resulting in building blocks of this material called oils. In pyrolysis, the polymeric material to be recycled or a suspector of it is heated directly to temperatures of up to 1000ºC, resulting in high-value gases that can be condensed to generate oils.

The main equipment of the laboratory is as follows: 

• Milestone synthWAVE microwave-assisted stirred tank reactor for solvolysis.
• Microwave-assisted fixed-bed tubular reactor for pyrolysis of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP).
• Pyrolysis gas condensation system.
• Dielectric properties measurement kit.
• Agilent 990 Micro GC systems for gas analysis.

What can we do?

• Evaluation of the dielectric properties of the material under study to optimise the microwave heating process.
• Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of polymers contained in composites such as wind turbine blades to obtain recoverable fibres and oils.
• Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of plastics such as Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) to obtain oil.
• Microwave-assisted solvolysis of resins for the release of fibres contained in composites (wind turbine blades, etc.).
• Microwave-assisted solvolysis of textile waste or other polymers to obtain building blocks.