Process optimization, monitoring and control in polymer processing, manufacturing, and recycling

Current practices of polymer production and use are a major cause for pollution, carbon emissions, and a persistently linear material streams.

On the other hand, advanced polymeric materials, such as composites, confer tremendous potential for improving sustainability in fields such as transport, where light weight and mechanical stability are major ingredients to fuel efficiency. The CHASE consortium has expertise in the areas of Polymer Characterization, Polymer Processing, and Polymer Engineering. We are currently applying this expertise in research projects related to mechanical plastic recycling (circular economy) and the production of thermoplastic composite lightweight components (sustainability).

At our site in Linz, we develop (inline) monitoring and control strategies for the production and manufacturing of thermoplastic composite materials and components, with the objective to optimize and standardize processes, and to improve product quality and process efficieny, for an overall improvement of sustainability aspects in the product life cycle of light-weight parts.

In particular, we design and implement novel offline and inline measurement and analysis approaches that permit the real-time evaluation of process and quality attributes. Here, we focus imaging techniques (Cameras, Microscopy, Optical Coherence Microscopy, Thermography) . The optimization of critical process steps is accompanied and sped up by tailored computational approaches, such as Computational Fluid Dynamics, Structural Component Simulations, and Data-Driven Models (Symbolic Regression, Neural Networks). In particular, we use surrogate modelling for model calibration and transfer. Real-time capable models support process control, optimization, and automation on an industrial scale.

We follow a data-informed and comprehensive approach to mechanical recycling with experience in analysing waste streams, processes, and recyclate properties; we employ our portfolio of to determine critical measurement and modelling tools to assess and optimize process parameters - from waste preconditioning to remanufacturing.

Our expertise at a glance:

• Computational models for process optimization Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Structural component simulations (FEM) Surrogate models (Symbolic Regression, neural networks etc.) • Development of inline mesurement technology • Development of monitoring and control strategies • Fields of application: Mechanical recycling value chain (from waste to product) Thermoplastic composites for lightweight components Polymer processing