GAIKER avanza en el desarrollo de tecnologías de reciclado químico para tratar residuos de plásticos complejos
The application and industrialisation of solvolysis and dissolution processes enable the upcycling of complex plastic waste from textiles, composites and multilayer laminates
The GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA) and an expert in plastic and chemical recycling technologies, is coordinating the COMPLESOLV project. Through research and development of chemical recycling technologies based on solvolysis and dissolution processes, the aim is to extend the circular economy to complex plastic waste from textiles, composites and multilayer laminates. To this end, it has the support of the companies Koopera Servicios Ambientales, S.Coop.I.S., Mecanizados Martiartu S.L. and Trienekens País Vasco, S.L.
This research, which began in 2024 and is funded by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia as part of its Line 1 Technology Transfer programme, aims to provide a solution for the recovery of waste that cannot be treated using mechanical recycling technologies due to the complexity of its texture, composition or the bonds between the materials it is made of.
The proposed solution is based on chemical recycling by solvolysis and dissolution, as its application and industrialisation enable upcycling, i.e. the production of new plastic materials or products of higher quality, ecological value and economic value, avoiding linear models and opting for circular models of resource use. The aim is to promote the circular economy.
To achieve this objective, COMPLESOLV is divided into four phases:
- Characterisation and conditioning of complex waste (multilayer, textiles and composites).
- Research into solvolysis and selective dissolution processes applied to complex waste that is difficult to recycle.
- Research into advanced purification and quality control of solvolysis and selective dissolution products.
- Technical, economic and environmental validation and evaluation
The development of this project aims to meet current demands for infinite recycling to products of equivalent quality to virgin material, plastic products derived from chemical recycling with a degree of synthesis or food grade, and recycled products with very low levels of impurities to meet the specifications demanded by secondary raw material markets. In addition, it also aims to contribute to improved management of complex waste with difficult-to-treat plastics deposited in landfills in the Basque Country and to ensure that recycled products reaching the markets come from processes with a lower impact on the use of resources (natural solvents), energy (low-temperature reactions) and with zero waste (products and by-products used globally).
