In order to convert carbon dioxide into a resource, Aimplas, Technological Institute of Plastics, works in the project SOSCO2, financed by the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE), which tackles this challenge through two strategic lines: the development of selective CO separation technologies2 based on polymeric membranes with advanced properties and the subsequent use of the captured dioxide to obtain higher value-added chemicals.
The system developed in this project will allow, in the words of Sergio Sopena, Decarbonization researcher at Aimplas, «that the cement, tile, plastic or chemical industries of the Valencian Community not only reduce their emissions, but also benefit from an apparently worthless compound such as carbon dioxide and transform it into products of great interest in the market such as ethylene, cyclic carbonates and polycarbonates».
Carbon recovery technologies thus play a key role in achieving a circular economy. For this reason, entities from the ceramic, cement and chemical sectors such as Laurentia Technologies, Torrecid, Quimacova, UBE or LafargeHolcim They have shown their interest in the development of this type of sustainable technology and have collaborated in this work from the beginning.
To reduce excess CO2 in the atmosphere, Aimplas also investigates, with the project Innopul, the development of 100% recyclable structural parts at a competitive cost that facilitates their rapid introduction to the market. The development represents a more sustainable and cheaper alternative for the construction sector, given the greater durability of these products and the less maintenance they require.
In this way, AIMPLAS is working on a new line for the manufacture of profiles with high mechanical and recyclable features through an automated production process, known as thermoplastic pultrusion.
Eight companies that cover the entire value chain of this project collaborate in this initiative, from manufacturers of plastic materials and transformation companies to construction companies and architecture and engineering services: Eslava, UBE, Xúquer Architecture and Engineering, Miraplas, Mocaplas, Urbana, Typsa and the Official College of Quantity Surveyors, Technical Architects and Building Engineers of Valencia (CAATIE).
