Description
West-Noord-Brabant and its legacy of industries is not yet set up to deal with the ambition of the European Union to have a CO2 neutral and circular economy by 2050. To achieve this, a transition must be made from conventional linear chemical industry to circular chemical industry.
Mechanical recycling is a good technique for recycling non-contaminated plastics, but also as a pretreatment for chemical recycling while chemical recycling is the best solution for mixed complex plastics. Mechanical recycling is already widely used in the Netherlands, but chemical recycling is still a relatively new alternative.
Chemical recycling, like pyrolysis or solvolysis, is an innovative processing technique for plastics, biomass, mixed streams and household waste. It is an inseparable part of the green transition. The technology for chemical recycling is still under development. One of the interesting examples is the cashew nutshell which is currently discarded as waste or used as an inefficient fuel, creating environmental issues. The cashew nutshell contains Cashew Nutshell Liquid (CNSL), which consists of the valuable chemical component cardanol. Cardanol can be used to produce biobased epoxy thermosets with balanced rigid-flexible performance. Chemical recycling can contribute highly to the green transition but are relatively new and need to be further developed.
Goal of the internship
Along the development of chemical recycling, it is interesting to evaluate the environmental performance of it. The goal of the internship is to perform environmental impact analysis, which could be in the form of (partial) life cycle assessment, hotspot analysis or desk study, to the topic of chemical recycling.
Praktische informatie
Compensation: €350 per month.
Period: Februari 2025 until Juli 2025. The length of the internship/graduation assignment is approximately 20 weeks.
Working language: English/Dutch.