Construction: New eco-sustainable products from old tyres and electrical wiring

New eco-sustainable products for construction, such as tiles, plasters and mortars obtained from end-of-life tyres (termed ELTs or, in Italian, PFU or pneumatici fuori utilizzo) and from discarded electrical wiring shall be produced within the ambit of two projects of a total value of more than 1.1 million euros[1] with the participation of ENEA, the University of Calabria and two companies from the Calabria region.

These two projects are coordinated by the companies, Gatim srl (PFU PREDECORE), and R.ED.EL. srl. (PVC UpCycling). The PFU PREDECORE project (PRemiscelati per l’EDilizia ECOcompatibili e a Risparmio Energetico, or eco-compatible energy-saving construction premixes) aims to create mortars and glues with ELT-based premixed materials to replace a traditional aggregating material such as sand.

These activities entail physical, chemical and mechanical characterization of the products, evaluation of durability and insulating properties, and preparation of a pilot plant on a semi-industrial scale. As ENEA project manager Maria Bruna Alba put it, “The importance of this project is twofold: on the one hand, it provides access to low environmental-impact products, characterized by a high-performance matrix; on the other, it provides openings for considerably increasing the economic value of ELT material, thus increasing demand and therefore boosting the entire recovery/treatment supply chain.” The experimental activities conducted at ENEA’s laboratories focused on gauging thermal conductivity and acoustic insulation in order to assess the insulating properties of the products obtained. Maria Bruna Alba added that the “thermo-acoustic characteristics of the products manufactured with ELT are decidedly satisfactory.

Regarding thermal insulation capacities, the samples analysed were equivalent to those of similar insulating plasters and mortars to be found on the market. Furthermore, from the point of view of sound insulation, the products made with ELT proved 9% more efficient as a means of abating noise.” The second project, called PVC UpCycling[2], includes a plan to make construction products with low environmental impact using PVC[3] recovered from discarded electrical wiring. Three ambits are mainly targeted: coverings for external paving (PVC tiles on existing base course), driveways (base course reinforced with mortar mixed with PVC granules) and green parking (thick blocks in recycled PVC and structural joints in 3D-printed PLA). ENEA has developed cementitious mortars containing recycled PVC, and it has studied their mechanical, thermal and water absorption capacities.

ENEA has also produced prototypes in PVC and polyurethane resin for the construction sector, while conducting durability, resistance and colourfastness vs solar radiation tests. According to the ENEA researcher, Corradino Sposato, “In this project we implement the priority programme lines of ENEA − namely enhancement, management and protection of the environment, recovery and re-use of materials as a part of sustainable processes, and energy-efficiency − by supporting companies such as R.ED.EL. whose triple objective is enhancing production system efficiency, expanding their market with new products, and boosting long-term competitiveness.”

For further information:

PFU PREDECORE Project: Maria Bruna Alba, ENEA - Dipartimento Tecnologie Energetiche - Sezione Strumenti per Applicazioni Energetiche, mariabruna.alba@enea.it

PVC UpCycling Project: Corradino Sposato, ENEA − Dipartimento Tecnologie Energetiche - Divisione Bioenergia, Bioraffineria e Chimica Verde – Laboratorio Processi Termochimici per la Valorizzazione di Biomasse, Residui e Rifiuti (energy technologies department − bioenergy, biorefinery and green chemistry division) − Laboratorio Processi Termochimici per la Valorizzazione di Biomasse, Residui e Rifiuti (thermochemical processes laboratory enhancement of biomasses, residues and waste), corradino.sposato@enea.it

[1] The PFU PREDECORE project has been funded by the POR (Piano Operativo Regionale) Calabria FESR-FSE 2014-2020 programme (299,000 euros of the total of 435,000 euros); the PVC UpCycling project is funded by the POR Calabria FESR-FSE 2014-2020 programme (365,000 euros of the total of 679,000 euros).

[2] Zero-waste circular economy via upcycling the waste created by electrical systems.

[3] Polyvinyl chloride − or PVC – is the polymer of vinyl chloride. It is one of the most widely consumed plastics worldwide. The key applications are tubes for construction uses, as gutters, pipes for drinking water, conduits for wiring, and window frames.