Laboratory for the study, prototyping and construction of objects through the sustainable use of plastic waste

Laboratory for the study, prototyping and construction of objects through the sustainable use of plastic waste

The proposed laboratory was created with a view to capitalizing on the many experiences made in all of Italy in the field of plastic recycling. It aims to create a series of services in this sector in Calabria, in an expanding sector, at a particular historical moment: on the one hand there has been a notable awareness of the Calabrian Municipalities for separate collection (with important European funding for collection and disposal); on the other hand, Public Bodies have imposed the adoption of Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM), which favor the use of sustainable products coming from recycling. A potential market has therefore been identified that is still completely unexplored in the south of Italy, where a structured industry is completely absent for the use of recycled plastic, even the least valuable, different from PET. Likewise, the purchase of products made with a “first second” material is limited by significant transport costs, sometimes comparable with the cost of the product.

A potential market has therefore been identified that is still completely unexplored in the south of Italy, where a structured industry is completely absent for the use of recycled plastic, even the least valuable, different from PET. Likewise, the purchase of products made with a “first second” material is limited by significant transport costs, sometimes comparable with the cost of the product.

So the idea is to offer the business market a series of services that aim to process the plastics coming from the differentiated on site, with a sales market that is certainly growing. It is therefore intended to operate in the various areas linked to the “second life” plastic: urban furniture, park furniture, interior furnishings, flooring, nautical, bathing, camping, children’s playgrounds for parks, etc., which can represent an important business for the southern area, currently absent.
Starting from a first idea, it will be possible to choose the materials accurately, study the volumes and production cycles and provide the solution to the needs that the current market requires. The competences that will be realized will already be able to solve all the problems related to the realization of the product during the design phase of the product, always in consideration of the technology used for the production of the product itself.

The proposed investments include a single prototyping system for the production of pre-series, which allow the client companies to be able to evaluate and test the piece even before entering the real production phase.

THE INVESTMENTS PROVIDED CONCERN:
1. Analytical equipment such as:

• analytical scale;
• differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) to measure the variations of enthalpy in the samples, due to changes in their physical and chemical properties as a function of temperature or time;
• spectrophotometer (FT IR) to verify the correct identity of the plastic material by measuring the IR spectrum and comparing it with a spectrum extracted from the reference materials;
• plastic testing machine used to measure thermoplastic resin melt mass flow rate (MFR), melt flow rate (MVR), melt volume and density, of raw materials and products;
• dynamometer .

2. Equipment for prototyping of artifacts such as:

• mini- extruder
• numerical control machine for plastic materials
• pantograph
• various work equipment