Grantee Research Project Results
Building Materials from Scrap Tires and Waste Plastics
EPA Contract Number: EPD17011Title: Building Materials from Scrap Tires and Waste Plastics
Investigators: Nowicki, Henry G.
Small Business: Professional Analytical and Consulting Services Inc. (PACS)
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: November 1, 2016 through April 30, 2017
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2016) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Building Materials
Description:
Two major waste streams, thermoplastics and used automotive tires, need a technological and economic method to decrease their entry into our environment. Both have long life-cycles as waste, causing many deleterious environmental problems. The Phase I, II , and Ill goal is to divert plastic and tire waste and its pollution away from landfills and the environment into transformational new technologies for new manufacturing materials. New commercial products are waste to wealth driven: conductive ink, control of electrostatic discharge flooring material, plastics with heat-conducting capability, batteries, capacitors, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, new coatings to avoid radar detection, and 3-D manufacturing of light weight electrical conductive parts.
We expect many imaginative applications from the scientific community once we provide plastic pellets with electrical conductivity. If electrically conductive plastic pellets are provided on a large scale, this could create a new billion dollar industry.
In Phase I, different blends of plastics and automotive tire waste will be made to evaluate electrical conductivity. We will re-connect with waste tire clients to inform them of our efforts on a project that may benefit them. In Phase II , we will construct a pilot plant to make electrically conductive plastic pellets and initiate 3-D manufacturing of plastic parts.
Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.