NRW Fortschrittskolleg VERBUND.NRW
The project committee VERBUND.NRW deals with the increase in the resource efficiency of composites in construction. Within the framework of the inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation between 11 departments and institutes of RWTH Aachen University and Münster University of Applied Sciences, the entire value-added chain of composites is examined from the perspective of various scientific disciplines.
Composite constructions fulfill both constructive and functional tasks within the construction industry, e.g. for usage as load-bearing elements (textile concrete, carbon fiber reinforced plastic, glass fiber reinforced plastic) or in the area of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS). The use of composite constructions can significantly contribute to resource conservation, especially if the aftercare phase (recyclability) is taken into account in addition to the utilization phase. However, the innovative building materials are a major challenge for the recycling industry. In order to achieve the desired properties and structures, a large number of materials are combined into a composite construction, which places ever new and more complex requirements on recycling at the end of the value chain.
The dissertation project (PV 9), which is located at the Department of Processing and Recycling, deals with the development of an innovative process chain for the selective comminution of plastic-containing composites with consideration of the procedural requirements of subsequent separation processes. Within this framework, mechanical comminution tests (impact, cutting, ripping) are carried out on a pilot scale and subsequent separation tests are carried out on a laboratory scale. Due to a material-specifically adapted process parameterization, materials constructed in this way are to be recycled as high-quality secondary raw materials back to the material circuit.