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from IM2021EN
Plastic Scanner wins James Dyson Award
Delft Design alumnus Jerry de Vos has won the prestigious James Dyson Award sustainability prize, with the Plastic Scanner he designed. The Plastic Scanner is a handheld scanner that can quickly determine what kind of plastic something is made of. This information is important for reuse and recycling of the worldwide growing plastic waste.
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Plastic is a lightweight, safe and readily available material which can be used to make long-lasting, durable products. It’s often not really recyclable and so ends up in landfill, or worse on the beach or in our oceans. However, with the right technologies plastics could be widely recycled successfully at end of life and transformed into new products, which themselves are long-lasting and durable.
The Plastic Scanner, invented by Integrated Product Design MSc graduate Jerry De Vos the TU Delft Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, is a handheld device that when held against a plastic composite will tell the user what materials it’s made from, using infrared light to detect the plastic components.
He developed the portable plastic scanner for his MSc thesis project using near-infrared spectroscopy, a technology that can categorize more than 75% of the plastics used in daily life. The device serves as an open source project, whose components can be sourced and manufactured locally. The Plastic Scanner thus helps to correctly separate plastics manually for better quality end products for reuse. Especially important because globally, a lot of waste separation is still done by hand.
The project uses the open source GPL-v3 license, which means that third parties are free to use the project, provided that this right is also passed on to others and the author(s) are mentioned. The Plastic Scanner builds upon Armin Straller's ReReMeter project (see video), by applying the technology in a portable form. This design was the basis for Jerry to eventually make the Plastic Scanner into a tangible product by continually iterating and improving it with, for example, a mini-computer, battery, screen, button and the housing of the final prototype.
More at TUD>
Wind turbines made with fabric
Enel Green Power has launched a partnership with the Scottish startup ACT Blade to develop a new type of innovative wind turbine made of fabric, capable of generating more energy, reducing costs and making it easier to recycle its component materials. ACT Blade specializes in the production of innovative wind turbines covered with a special technical fabric, based on the principles adopted for the sails used by boats competing in the America’s Cup. This technology has great potential for the wind power industry as well, because it could bring significant benefits in both economic and environmental terms. First of all, the turbine blades are lighter because they have a slender supporting structure made of composite material that is completely covered with the technical fabric. The new blades with the same weight as conventional ones are longer and therefore ensure an increased production of electricity. In addition, the costs are lower thanks to other features, such as a structure that is composed of fewer materials in relation to its length, as well as modular production processes that are simpler and more streamlined, leading to expected savings of up to 17%. Finally, a particularly relevant aspect concerns the circular economy. The ACT Blade rotor blades are made of a reusable fabric and from elements that are more easily separable compared with conventional blades, so they can be recovered more easily once the blades are dismantled at the end of their useful life. According to Enel Green Power ACT Blade’s technology fits perfectly with Enel’s strategy for the circular management of wind farms: maximizing the reuse and recycling of materials and components and applying a circular perspective right from the design phase.
More at Enel Green Power>
Flexi-Loft
During the Automotive Acoustics Conference, which will be held virtually on November 16 and 17, 2021, Autoneum high lighted her Flexi-Loft technology. Flexiloft is a lightweight material made of recycled cotton and functional fibres for vehicle interiors. Autoneum headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, is specialized in acoustic and thermal management solutions for the automotive industry.
Flexi-Loft is a new felt-based technology that, thanks to a special blend of recycled cotton and functional fibers, has a lower weight and allows precise adjustment, even in complex applications. The textile material thus offers a versatile and more sustainable alternative to foam. Because felt-based materials are generally less bulky and mouldable than foam components, they require more weight to thoroughly fill the areas of varying thickness between the part's surface and the white body of the vehicle.
According to Autoneum, Flexi-Loft is significantly lighter, more flexible and more adaptable than standard felt for acoustic car interiors. In addition, according to the manufacturer, the fiber-based material outperforms current foam products in terms of durability. Flexi-Loft consists of at least 50% recycled cotton fibres, and cut-offs generated during the manufacturing process are reclaimed, processed and then reused in the production of new felt blanks. Furthermore, the material is fully recyclable.
Autoneum profiles itself as the global market and technology leader in acoustic and thermal management solutions for vehicles. The company develops and produces multifunctional, lightweight components for noise and heat protection. The products and technologies are intended to make vehicles quieter, safer and lighter.
www.autoneum.com
100% biobased binder as a sustainable alternative for bitumen in asphalt
Developing a 100% biobased binder for asphalt. That is the aim of a three-year research project of Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, H4A, Roelofs, AKC and TNO. The new binder will be based on biobased components from side streams of the paper and pulp industry and the agri-food industry. Wageningen Food & Biobased Research has been working on sustainable alternatives for existing asphalt binders for years. There are currently 25 test sections around the Netherlands with varying compositions in which 50% of the bitumen was substituted by lignin. In practice, a partial replacement of bitumen with the natural binder lignin has yielded significant gains in sustainability.
Other biological molecules
The primary goal is for the new asphalt binder to have at least the same functional properties as bitumen. According to Richard Gosselink, lignin expert and coordinator at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, the properties that are required must be translated into the biobased components that the researchers want to use. In order to get the functional properties, they are looking for smart combinations of biological molecules from a previously compiled longlist. The research first focuses on lab research to find the right combinations of molecules. Various components will probably need
Photo: WUR
to be modified in order to give them the desired functional properties.
Asphalt test strip
With this project, the project partners aim to give the market a significant boost towards a bitumen-free asphalt binder. One of the preconditions for the new asphalt binder is that the biobased raw materials required must be abundant. The aim is to deliver a test strip within three years, on which the new asphalt binder has been incorporated and which is suitable for further upscaling. This test strip will also be tested extensively in order to generate the required data and to work towards a introduction on the market.
Consortium
This project, with number BBE-2006/ LWV20.045, sees a collaboration between Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, H4A, Roelofs, AKC and TNO. The partners are grateful to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy for the necessary TKI supplement funding.
More at WUR>
Rabobank Innovation Challenge 2021
Takkenkamp, Straw Blocks Systems and Signify are the winners of the Rabobank Innovation Challenge 2021. The prizes were awarded on Tuesday 2 November on the first day of the innovation event Building Holland in RAI Amsterdam. A total of fifteen products were nominated. With the Rabobank Innovation Challenge, Rabobank and Building Holland want to stimulate innovation in the construction sector.
Signify was awarded an award with NatureConnect in the category Smart & Healthy. NatureConnect is a revolutionary form of lighting for offices, hospitals and other commercial buildings. Two of the winners received the prize for innovative use of materials. Takkenkamp won in the Energy Transition category with Airofill Innovative Wall Insulation: a kind of slurry based on aerogel, which can be easily applied through holes in the joint. The slurry becomes liquid with movement, but stiffens in the cavity and stabilizes in the wall. Takkenkamp Isolatie says it can achieve an Rc value of 3.20 with a cavity wall of 6 cm..
Takkenkamp>
In the category Circularity, the prize went to Straw Blocks Systems. The company makes prefab building blocks of pressed straw. The profile consists of tongue and groove so that the blocks interlock. This makes it possible to realize flat, strong and stable walls with pressed straw with a minimum of (relatively expensive) construction parts. Due to the perfect fit, there are no significant thermal bridges or material tensions and the risk of leaks in the insulation is zero. The standard size is 40 x 40 cm (h x w). The length depends on the application or wishes of the client and can vary from 40 to 120 cm. The density is 125 kg/m3 . Building elements are assembled from these pressed straw blocks. On the outside there are construction parts made of wood or other material, depending on the application. The outside of the elements is provided with a (maximum 1 centimeter thick) clay layer as standard, with which the material meets the standards with regard to fire retardancy.
Strawblocks>
Above: Aerofill; below: Strawblocks
GeoDuct: a natural circular viaduct
Infrastructure projects typically bear a sizeable ecological footprint and often lead to significant environmental impact due to the extraction, processing, and transport processes. At the same time, large segments of existing Dutch infrastructure must be replaced and/or renovated (Replace & Renovate programme). The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) has set its objective to become fully circular from 2030 and has appealed to the market via the SBIR Programme (Strategic Business Innovation Research) to develop innovative circular viaducts that can be reused repeatedly. The project is a collaboration between Architectenbureau ZJA, Iv-Infra, Dura Vermeer, Geotec Solutions, HUESKER Nederland and Ploegam BV.
The GeoDuct is a viaduct built entirely from area-specific, local soils confined within geotextiles. The natural curve of the arch distributes the forces and eliminates the need for a pile foundation. The soils are not bound or mixed, and the geotextile can be recycled, biobased or designed to be fully removable. Thus, resulting in a lower environmental impact in terms of circularity and CO₂ emissions. According tot the project team, the lower environmental impact with regard to circularity stems from the use of primary and secondary materials. The GeoDuct uses 95% less primary materials compared to a traditional viaduct made of concrete and steel. And because the GeoDuct is 100% removable, the raw materials are highly reusable, unlike concrete reinforced with steel. When steel-reinforced concrete reaches the end of its lifespan or is removed, it no longer retains the value of primary raw materials and can only be recycled.
The use of materials largely determines the CO₂ emissions of a viaduct. The production of materials such as concrete and steel generates high levels of CO₂ emissions. When geotextile and soil are used, these emissions are significantly reduced or not even applicable, respectively. Based on indicative calculations, the development (production materials + construction site activities) of the GeoDuct emits 50% less CO₂ than a conventional viaduct made of concrete and steel.
Another interesting element is the connection between the natural soil and a circular civil enginering structure. Rob Torsing, partner architect at ZJA remarked: ‘A bridge that merges into the landscape at the end of its life, and slowly disappears as if it was never there. That is circularity at its best.’ ZJA is investigating what this new construction method means for the architectural idiom of public works and their spatial impact. Reinforced ground constructions entail a different aesthetic than those made of steel or concrete, for example. ZJA considers it a challenge to develop a new architectural idiom, appropriate to this new technology for creating spans that connect people and places. According to the project partners, he constructive feasibility of the GeoDuct has already been demonstrated mathematically. Currently the team is further developing the design, in order to build a prototype. If these test findings are good, the concept should be sufficiently proven to be included in innovative procurement projects. The team can then complete the remaining detailed engineering within the first commercial project.
More at ZJA>
Prof. Arjan Mol new scientific director 4TU.HTM
As of 1 January 2022, Prof. Arjan Mol (Delft University of Technology) will be the new scientific director of the 4TU.Centre High-Tech Materials (4TU.HTM). He succeeds Prof. Jilt Sietsma, who was one of the initiators of 4TU.HTM and has led the centre since its inception in 2014.
4TU.HTM aims to stimulate and innovate excellent materials science research at the four universities of technology (TUs) in the Netherlands (Delft, Eindhoven, Twente, Wageningen) through collaboration and new initiatives in the fields of research and education. Recently, 4TU.HTM and the other centres of the 4TU.Federation were given the green light to continue their activities in the period 2022-2025.
Sietsma: 'What I really like is how 4TU.HTM has expanded due to the participation of WUR. Materials science is not just about steel, composites and concrete; the soft materials from Wageningen are just as much a part of it.'
Mol: 'We are faced with complex challenges with the materials and energy transition. The better organised we are as Dutch materials science community, the more society as a whole can benefit from our expertise.'
Mol has been professor of Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry at Delft University of Technology since 2017, where he also obtained his PhD in 2000. His research focusses on corrosion mechanisms and (environmentally friendly) ways to prevent corrosion.
In addition to the activities of 4TU.HTM that started earlier, Mol specifically wants to support young scientists who have yet to build up their network: 'In the coming years, we will discover how big the impact of corona is on the careers of the new generation of scientists. I want to make sure that they can still make the necessary connections, within and outside their field of expertise,' says Mol. He also aims to work on increasing public support for the field: 'Without materials science it would be darn empty around us.'
In addition to the scientific director, the organisation of 4TU. HTM consists of a Management Team in which all TUs are represented, and a coordinator.
Read more: interview with Arjan Mol and Jilt Sietsma>
Prof.dr.ir. Arjan Mol
Since 2017, Arjan Mol has been professor of Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry at the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (3mE), Delft University of Technology, where he also obtained his PhD in 2000. His research focusses on corrosion mechanisms and (environmentally friendly) ways to prevent corrosion. This work is relevant for applications ranging from offshore to aircraft construction and from microelectronics to the automotive industry. Mol is Past President of the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC), Honorary Professor at the University of Science & Technology Beijing (China) and Editor-in-Chief of Elsevier's Corrosion Science.
