RECOTEX-Innovative Materials
About this good practice
Recotex company was born after winning the contest "TUIASI – COMPETE. Institutional development of TUIASI by increasing the visibility and performance of research", funded by the PNCDI III 9 PFE program. Winning this competition determined the next natural objective, to transfer the technological know-how to the business environment, in the form of a company that offers competitive solutions and products in the field of construction, through recycled composite materials.
The concept comes as a response to the trend of exponential growth of the quantities of textile waste, post and pre-consumption from Iași city. The new developed material - (FRC) has very interesting characteristics:
- VERSATILITY Due to the varying thickness and density of the plates, obtained by modifying the pressing forces, the final product can be used both in modular constructions and for the segmentation of living spaces. Thus, the method of obtaining the product as well as its properties gives it multiple alternative solutions.
- 3D shapping
In the use of textile waste in 3D format, the thermopressed composite material shows increased malleability, eliminating intermediate assembly operations. Thus, the products have a low production cost due to the thermopressure procedure.
- Sustainability This product is obtained by recovering textile waste by cutting it, without the need for defibration, and using as a matrix waste polypropylene film and nonwoven materials made of polypropylene.
Resources needed
Research grant to scale up the concept funded by the PNCDI III 9 PFE program
Evidence of success
Fabric Recycled Composite – FRC boards represent the ecological and competitive alternative to traditional building materials, such as those of OSB or chipboard type. FRC can represent an innovative solution for other industries like:
- Construction
- ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS
- FURNITURE INDUSTRY
Municipality of Iași through Municipal Waste Collection Center stimulate the collection of waste from textiles that represent a proximity source for the production of the new FRC material.
Potential for learning or transfer
At global level there has been identified the need to turn the textiles sector from a highly polluting one, to a more eco-friendlier sector.
The reuse of textile waste is an important direction to improve the sustainability of sector, so the further development of this secondary raw material can represent and widespread solution to assess the problem of textile waste.
Other local authorities can support the collection of textile waste, that can be used in this new process to increase the sustainability in their teritories.