Castellón, 28th October 2021 – The European Commission, through the LIFE Programme, has approved the project LIFE REPLAY: Unveiling a recycling-source of heavy metal-based solids component and organic effluent for use in the ceramic industry, Ref. LIFE20 ENV/ES/000115. The kick-off meeting has taken place at the Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica (ITC-AICE) involving all the partners.
This is a bold initiative aimed at ensuring that ceramic inkjet ink wastes can be reused and reintroduced into the manufacturing ceramic process by means of a previous specific separation procedure meeting all industrial requirements. The promotion of sustainability and, thus, the minimization of waste disposal costs are the key issues of this project. In this vein, considering the current high raw material costs, LIFE REPLAY aims to separate wastes resulting in a solid component (based on heavy-metal inorganic pigment) and in a liquid component (based on an organic solvent).
Both will be reintroduced into the manufacturing ceramic process , inkjet inks production and pigment calcination. This proposal will also demonstrate the feasibility of using inkjet ink waste as a new raw material for the ceramic industry, transforming it into an alternative source of pigment and solvent that is not only environmentally friendly but also economically profitable.
LIFE REPLAY is coordinated by the Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica (ITC-AICE) with the participation of the companies KEROS CERAMICA, S.L., NEPTURY TECHNOLOGIES, S.L, AKCOAT RECUBRIMIENTOS QUÍMICOS ESPECIALIZADOS S.L.U and CTR-CENTRO DE TRATAMIENTO DE RESIDUOS DEL MEDITERRANEO, SL.
It should be noted that one of the most important “enabling technologies” in terms of decoration in the ceramic industry is inkjet printing, which has been prevailed over other traditional ceramic decorative techniques (screen printing and rotogravure) to considerably achieve a greater level of end-product customization, raise in process productivity, and reduce in manufacturing costs.
Unfortunately, it generates wastes that may be considered hazardous. At present, waste management of this type of inks consists of a chemical separation (based on a flocculation, precipitation and settling mechanism) followed by a physical process of solids removal using a filter press prior to disposal. This process generates irremediably industrial wastewater from the cleaning stages. Thanks to the implementation of LIFE REPLAY is it possible to reduce them to zero.
LIFE REPLAY partnership has been made up to extend even more the inkjet technology, laying the foundations of the circular economy and contributing to the sustainability of the manufacturing ceramic process.
