Plastics characterisation, processing & recycling

Development of a novel type of thermal and electrical conductive compound with high conductivity and improved processability in a wide range of processing techniques, that will broaden the scope of possible applications for conductive composites.

Development of bio-based materials with functional properties for high-volume consumer products and better performances than fossil-based plastics in comparable applications.

The Interreg NWE project CurCol aims to demonstrate economic potential for the production chains from regionally produced plants to colorants in packaging.

Smart textiles are able to sense and respond to changes in their environment, increasing as such their functionality to the wearer. The main application fields of smart textiles are safety and protection (e.g. technical textiles and workwear), medical support (e.g. monitoring of the elderly) and performance enhancement (e.g. fitness and sport).

compactor cover

By compacting low density bulk materials into pellets they become much easier to process and recycle.

In the supercritical CO2 phase, the CO2 exhibits both the properties of a gas (high diffusivity and low viscosity) and the properties of a liquid (high density), making scCO2 a very interesting extraction medium.

scCO2 extraction brochure

The scC02 Extractor supports our research in the extraction of undesirable chemicals from recyclates. Supercritical CO2 can also be used as a green solvent for textile dyeing.

A Europe-wide consortium aims to create a circular economy by removing hazardous flame retardants from plastic waste and re-using the purified material in high-value applications.

This project will focus on biobased plasticizers, antioxidants, UV stabilizers and flame retardants.

Through this project we want to transfer the expertise of Centexbel-VKC in the field of melt processing to the textile coating sector.