Circular Economy of Plastics

This INFORM webinar aims to deepen viewers' understanding of the techniques that can be used to identify the composition of unknown polymer compounds.  In this session Differential Scanning Calorimetry will be presented as a useful tool for the plastics recycling industry to characterise common plastics mixtures.

Today’s most important waste streams of plastics to become a circular economy are the pre-consumer and post-consumer waste. While the first is more or less production waste, the latter comes from the municipal waste stream with far more diversity and uncertainty regarding the material itself, its condition and therefore, reusability.

One current hurdle to increase recycling rates is the identification and quantification of unknown compositions found in recycled materials. One such identification tool is the Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), which allows to identify materials based on their melting characteristics. At the same time, it allows the quantification of the components in comparison to a reference.

Who is the webinar aimed at?

This session will be particularly useful to polymer suppliers, polymer processors, polymer traders and trading platforms, recyclate sellers, recyclate buyers, recyclate traders, material characterization and analysis, people working in the recycling industry, and people interested in circular economy.

What are the webinar requirements?

This session is open to anyone with an interest in materials characterisation techniques, but particularly those with a focus on polymers.

How does it work?

How does it work?

This one-hour webinar will be broadcast via Zoom and delegate questions can be posed through the Q&A function. A video of the webinar will be recorded for all delegates including any material referenced. The webinar is scheduled for Monday 05 December at 1300GMT, 1500CET or 0900EST on the IOM3 Zoom channel. All registered delegates will receive a link and instructions of how to join the webinar in advance. You will need an internet connection to take part in the webinar.

What will attendees learn from this webinar?

  • Get overview of recycling pathways, in particular mechanical recycling
  • Learn about the identification and quantification of polyolefins
  • Understand the possibilities and limitations of the available techniques