Over 20 international and industrial partners and seven universities have come together to establish the National Interdisciplinary Centre for the Circular Chemical Economy (NIC3E) at a cost of £4.3 million to investigate ways to minimise industry’s need for imported raw materials.
The Cardiff Catalysis Institute will, as part of this project, be looking into creating catalysts to enable a greener, more circular economy by transforming waste like used lubricants into useful compounds. Nine out of ten chemical reactions are thought to be catalysed, which involves using particular compounds to accelerate chemical reactions and enable products to be made more cheaply, safely and cleanly, as well as in a more sustainable manner.
Dr Alberto Roldan Martinez, the Project Leader at Cardiff University, said:
“The foundation of NIC3E offers an excellent opportunity to drive step changes in the capabilities and sustainability of the chemical manufacturing industries, placing the UK closer to a waste-zero economy while enhancing the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.”
The centre will also look at directly capturing CO2 and converting it into olefins, which most organic chemical productions use as feedstock to make plastics, synthetic fibres, solvents and other valuable materials.
Circularity in industry is becoming increasingly important to keep materials in use for as long as possible. At TrAchem, we deal with multiple brands, so our procurement can connect you with products that fit with the circular economy, such as those of Shell, which has committed to minimising, recycling and reusing packaging for products like its Shell Refrigeration compressor oils across the supply chain. Speak to us to learn more.
