Leibniz Universität Hannover Faculty Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
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Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy
 
Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy Research
Current Research

Current Research Projects

  • ReVor: Development of a pilot plant for plastics recycling
    There is currently no pilot plant that can be used to process complex plastic components or highly technical material composites in such a way that a high-quality recyclate can be produced from them. The ReVor research infrastructure, funded by the European Union and the state of Lower Saxony, can close this gap and ensure that the development of processing strategies for optimised pre-treatment of the materials is made possible. This can take place in different process steps, which can be combined as required.
    Year: 2024
    Funding: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and State of Lower Saxony
    Duration: 09/2024 to 09/2028
  • SeaStore: Protection and reintroduction of seagrass meadows in the southern Baltic Sea
    Seagrass meadows promote biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services (ES) such as carbon sequestration and sediment stabilisation, which is of great importance for coastal protection. For this reason, there is great interest in the restoration of previously lost seagrass meadows in the German Baltic Sea.
    Year: 2024
    Funding: BMBF, BMUV, UN-Dekade
    Duration: 08/2024 to 07/2029
  • Bio2Foam – Novel Sugarcane Bagasse-Based Bio-PUR flexible Foams for Automotive and Outdoor sport industries: A Sustainable German-Queensland Bioeconomy Solution
    Agricultural by-products hold immense potential for high-value and sustainable bio-based materials production. This collaborative research between Queensland and Germany aims to transform agricultural by-products into bio-based polyurethane (Bio-PUR) for the automotive and outdoor applications. The project brings together Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Leibniz University of Hannover (LUH) and the industry partners Far Northern Milling, Licella, Lextra along with Grammer and Vaude.
    Year: 2024
    Funding: BMBF
    Duration: 6/2024 to 05/2027
    © Koch | IKK
  • REMOTIVE - Complementary use of mechanical, physical and chemical technologies to develop effective and sustainable recycling concepts for plastic-based automotive components
    Car handles, boot covers and centre consoles: many vehicle parts are made of plastic. This has many advantages over metal - among other things, plastic is significantly lighter, which has a positive effect on the fuel and energy consumption of cars. However, the disposal or recycling of plastics is much more difficult, not least because the individual vehicle parts are made up of different plastic components.
    Year: 2024
    Funding: VW-Stiftung
    Duration: 03/2024 to 02/2028
    © pxhere
  • TexKreis - Recycling process for returning plastic-based textile products to the material cycle
    In 2022, 113.8 million tons of textile fibres, including 87.6 million tons of chemical fibres, were produced worldwide according to the Federal Statistical Office. These quantities pose major challenges for the fashion industry in particular, as textiles have been difficult to recycle so far. In view of the increasing production of clothing, particularly through fast fashion, and the associated resource consumption and waste volumes in recent years, it is therefore crucial to find sustainable solutions to meet the growing environmental requirements and stricter legal regulations in various industries.
    Year: 2024
    Funding: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
    Duration: 02/2024 to 02/2026
    © Pogrzeba | IKK
  • R-Schaum - Circular Economy: Process development and prototype application for recycling cross-linked foam waste
    Plastic-based foams play an important role in many applications, such as suitcase inserts or packaging padding, but also in mattresses or medical pillows. Foam waste is generated during the manufacturing process (post-industrial) as well as after the use phase (post-consumer). According tot he current status, however, the recycling of plastic-based foams, especially cross-linked foams, is hardly possible.
    Year: 2024
    Funding: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
    Duration: 02/2024 to 02/2026
    © Pogrzeba | IKK
  • ENK - Energy-efficient and sustainable production of plastic components
    The rise in prices for energy and raw materials has meant that energy savings and the efficient use of resources have gone from being a subordinate aspect to a key priority for operational improvements within entire branches of industry and are now an essential necessity. In addition to the fulfilment of legal requirements with regard to defined environmental targets, energy efficiency measures are more necessary than ever, especially in Germany as a production location and also against the background of international competitiveness. This is precisely where the ENK research project - energy-efficient and sustainable production of plastic components - steps in.
    Year: 2024
    Funding: BMWK
    Duration: 01/2024 to 12/2026
  • Development and implementation of circular economy concepts in SMEs in the plastics sector
    Conventional plastics economy is mostly linear and is therefore closely linked to resource consumption and waste generation. An alternative concept is the circular economy (CE), which aims to reduce environmental pollution.
    Year: 2022
    Funding: Promotionsstipendium Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
    Duration: 12/2022 to 11/2025
    © IKK
  • ReKon - Recycling concepts for high-quality mechanical recycling of previously non-recyclable waste streams of technical plastic components from the mobility, energy, electronic and electrical equipment (E&E) and health/pharmaceutical sectors
    The ReKon research project aims to develop innovative, scalable pre-treatment and recycling solutions for mechanical recycling. The project focuses in particular on waste and input streams from the automotive, energy, electronic components, single-use plastics and material composites from the healthcare/pharmaceutical sector that are not yet industrially recyclable.
    Year: 2023
    Funding: MWK
    Duration: 07/2023 bis 06/2025
  • Abbauverhalten von Reifenabrieb in aquatischen Ökosystemen
    Reifenabrieb stellt weltweit eine der bedeutendsten Quellen partikulärer Umweltkontamination dar, jedoch existieren insbesondere für aquatische Ökosysteme bisher kaum gesicherte wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zum Abbauverhalten oder dem Verbleib. Im Rahmen eines Forschungsstipendiums der Deutschen Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) und in Kooperation mit der Continental AG und dem Deutschen Institut für Kautschuktechnologie wird Robin Bähre das Degradationsverhalten von Reifenabrieb in unter aquatischen Umgebungsbedingungen anhand von systematischen Abbauexperimenten untersuchen.
    Year: 2021
    Funding: Promotionsstipendium Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
    Duration: 08/2021 bis 07/2024
    © pixabay.com
  • SeaStore: Wiederansiedlung von Seegraswiesen als Beitrag zur Erhöhung der marinen Biodiversität
    Seegraswiesen fördern Biodiversität und bieten wichtige Ökosystemleistungen (ÖSL) wie Kohlenstoffbindung und Sedimentstabilisierung, die für den Küstenschutz von großer Bedeutung ist. Fehlschläge in bisherigen Wiederansiedlungsmaßnahmen für das gewöhnliche Seegras (Zostera mari-na) deuten darauf hin, dass seine ökologische Nische noch wenig verstanden ist. Dieses Projekt schafft die wissenschaftliche Grundlage für eine Wiederansiedlung von Seegras in südbaltischen Gewässern.
    Year: 2020
    Funding: BMBF, Projektträger Jülich
    Duration: 11/2020 bis 06/2024
    © Hannah Behnsen
  • TurbuStruk: Reduction of cooling times through turbulent flow in structured cooling channels of injection moulds
    In the future, cooling channel structures are to ensure more efficient molds and more precise and faster process control in injection molding. Within the framework of the „Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand“ (Central Innovation Program for SMEs), or ZIM Guideline for short, Konstruktionsbüro Hein GmbH (KB Hein), the IfW - Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Machine Tools and the IKK - Institute for Plastics and Recycling Technology, both institutes of Leibniz University, are working together on this development.
    Year: 2022
    Duration: 03/2024

Last Change: 08.07.24 Print

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