Plastics and composites aren’t recycled as often as we might wish, as a result of a lack of facilities, the right technologies not yet existing or not being profitable, or hazardous waste deposits. IMT Nord Europe have been working in partnership with manufacturers to develop and improve the available technologies. Plastics and composites get a lot of bad press, but it …

Recovering untreated plastic materials and putting them back into the recycling loop through a decontamination line is the challenge of thesis research by Layla Gripon, a PhD student at IMT Lille Douai. These extraction methods contribute to a comprehensive approach to recovering plastic materials, in particular brominated plastics. High consumption of electronic devices implies a significant amount of waste to …

There has been a significant revolution in the world of materials as 3D printing has proved its potential for innovation. Now it must be put into practice. While 3D printers are increasingly present in prototyping workshops, they have been slow to replace the processes traditionally used in the plastics industry. This is because these technologies are too restrictive, in terms …

As required by environmental transition, materials of the future must be “greener”. Bioplastics in particular have become a main focus of attention, and are often presented as the solution to the pollution caused by the plastics we use every day, which can take hundreds of years to decompose. Patricia Krawczak, a researcher at Mines Douai, studies these new polymers. Yet …

IMT Nord Europe | Materials, Composites, Plastics, Recycling, Ecological transition

Estelle Hynek, IMT Nord Europe – Institut Mines-Télécom A two-story office building was “printed” in Dubai in 2019, becoming the largest 3D-printed building in the world by surface area: 640 square meters. In France, XtreeE plans to build five homes for rent by the end of 2021 as part of the Viliaprint project. Constructions 3D, with whom I am collaborating …

Hydrogen is presented as an energy vector of the future. In a power-to-gas system, it serves as an intermediary for the transformation of electricity into synthetic methane. The success of this energy solution depends heavily on its production cost, so IMT researchers are working on optimizing the different processes for a more competitive power-to-gas solution.   Increasing production of renewable energy and reducing …

Life cycle analysis (LCA) is increasingly common, in particular for eco-design or to obtain a label. It is used to assess the environmental footprint of a product or service by taking into account as many sources as possible. In the following interview, Miguel Lopez-Ferber, a researcher in environmental assessment at IMT Mines Alès, offers insights about the benefits and complexity …

After the “Digital” fund, Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT) and the Fondation Mines-Télécom launched a second fund last October called “Industry & Energy 4.0” and dedicated to the sciences of energy, materials and processes. The Capsit and Plas’tri start-ups incubated at IMT Atlantique and Mines Saint-Étienne respectively are the first to benefit from the honor loans of this new fund.   

Producing high-quality raw materials from waste is contingent on effective sorting. Plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are no exception. To help solve this problem, researchers at IMT Mines Alès have developed a selective automation algorithm designed for these plastics. It can be integrated in new industrial-scale sorting machines.   How will your coffee maker be reincarnated after …