The CRC team has been very busy since formally establishing on 1 July to establish the majority of its initial, foundation research projects that were a part of the bid that was funded by the Commonwealth.

The CRC Board has now approved 11 research projects, with four of these projects with fully executed Project Agreements in place and in the process of hiring postdoctoral research fellows to commence work on their projects.  The seven  other research projects should commence in the first quarter of next calendar year.

The CRC has also advertised for three (3) PhD projects to start early next year, with an additional three PhD projects to be advertised early next year.

In this and future newsletters we will highlight one or more of the innovative projects that are being conducted by our partners through the CRC.  Please find below a summary of two of the inaugural research projects of the CRC.

APR Plastics project with Central Queensland University

Soft plastics waste streams containing polyolefins that cannot be mechanically recycled, because they are too contaminated or comprise multilayer films, can be chemically recycled to produce oils which can be used to make virgin polyolefins. This project aims to optimise the pyrolysis operating conditions and develop process control systems for APR ChemCycle to produce oil best suited for this use. The research support for this chemical recycling technology will involve developing models of the reactors that aid optimising the efficiency of the process to improve the yield and value of the oil and char. This project will assist in maximising the commercial value of APR ChemCycle’s planned pyrolysis operations and support developing a master plan for a large-scale facility. The potential impacts include improving profitability of the pyrolysis plant and providing technical support for the diversion of large quantities of soft plastics from landfill.

Neumann Steel/NuPod project with Griffith University

A new collaboration between Griffith University, Neumann Steel, and the SPW CRC aims to advance sustainability in construction by reducing polystyrene waste on building sites. The project centres around Neumann Steel’s patented NuPod® void formers, which offer a sustainable alternative to traditional materials used in the construction environment. The 3-year research partnership will ensure the consistency and quality of the recycled plastics Neumann Steel uses in its injection moulding production processes, and in the long term will advance the development of a sustainable and competitive locally-based supply chain that supports both economic viability and environmental responsibility for Neumann Steel’s plastic products.