02-07-2018
"ROBUST Project - Circular Economy Applied to Rubber Tires: Material, Chemical and Energy Valuation", led by FCT NOVA / LAQV-REQUIMTE in partnership with the University of Aveiro / CESAM won the Inov.Ação - Valorpneu 2018 Award in the Business category and Innovation.
The winning team's proposal focused on the valorisation of the rubber of used tires, because as they describe in the presentation of the application: "Used tires from light vehicles, heavy vehicles, agricultural vehicles, motorcycles, cycles, among other vehicles that use tires , are classified as waste but have a high potential for use in other industries.These materials are produced annually in very high quantities.The estimate for the year 2017 of used tires generated and collected under the Integrated Management System is of 81292 t (expressed in tires with their various constituents). Matter produced in such a significant annual quantity requires a wide range of possible physical and chemical recovery paths, which can respond to this high quantity and generate high added value products. "
The team composed by Isabel Fonseca, Nuno Lapa, Inês Matos, Maria Bernardo (FCTNOVA / LAQV-REQUIMTE), Luis Tarelho, Arlindo Matos (CESAM-UA) states that: "This national award will be a starting point for strengthening relations with the tire recycling industry and to help establish new symbioses between recyclers and other industrial sectors. We are already working on extending the consortium to industrial partners. "
Valorpneu's initiative has been taking place since 2009 and the preparation and submission of applications for 2018 takes place since 2016, aiming to stimulate great "green ideas", to create new services, products or technologies related to used tires or materials derived from their recycling.
