Funding Selections - REMADE Institute (REMADE RFP 6)

Award Amount: $335,700

Project Lead: RIT

Partner Organizations: John Deere Reman

Location: Rochester, NY

Description: This project aims to advance a low-heat repair process for grey and ductile iron castings, popular across many industries for their castability and mechanical properties. Traditionally, repairs of these products are bypassed because of their time-consuming nature, significant capital requirements, need for specialized training, and lack of robustness in the welds produced. This technology offers stable welds without high temperatures that can distort the component. John Deere will set the required benchmarks, while RIT will refine the process, incorporating measures like enhanced induction heating. Commercialization of this technique could extend the lifespan of cast iron components reducing their carbon and energy intensity.

Award Amount: $524,951

Project Lead: A3 Global

Partner Organizations: Northeastern University

Location: Phoenixville, PA

Description: This project focuses on enhancing the battery reconditioning process for hybrid and electric vehicles, transitioning from nickel metal hydride (NiMH) to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Given the surge in EV Li-ion batteries and the complexity of lithium battery chemistries, the current reconditioning methods prove to be both time and energy-consuming. By integrating an exponential Gaussian Process Regression (eGPR) machine-learning (ML) model, the project aims to improve the speed and reliability of battery diagnostics. Data acquisition techniques like galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) and high-speed GITT (HSGITT) are employed to gather predictor variables. This project streamlines the battery reconditioning process for EVs through advanced machine learning, potentially conserving significant energy and resources, thus driving the automotive industry closer to sustainable circularity.

Award Amount: $578,032

Project Lead: RIT

Partner Organizations: CoreCentric Solutions, WPI, Kingston Process Metallurgy, Smelter Services Corp, Audubon Metals, Real Alloys, Spectro Alloys Corp.

Location: Rochester, NY

Description: This project aims to bring to industrial scale a sorting process that uses computer vision and machine learning to automatically identify and sort different product “cores” so that they can be remanufactured. Remanufacturing can help reduce the raw materials required for products, since the product’s “core” is derived from previously used products saved from landfills or returned by consumers. Identifying and sorting this previously used material is challenging due to damage, lack of identification, and signs of wear. Moreover, sorting different cores is labor-intensive and prone to errors. The process has been successfully demonstration at lab scale in a project funded by the New York State Department of Economic Development. By automating the identification and sorting of product cores using computer vision and machine learning, this project has the potential to streamline remanufacturing, thereby reducing waste and bolstering economic circularity by repurposing previously used materials that might otherwise end up in landfills.

Award Amount: $400,000

Project Lead: Michelin North America

Partner Organizations: Argonne National Laboratory

Location: Greenville, SC

Description: This project aims to advance micronized rubber powder (MRP) technologies for the integration of recycled rubber into new tire production by utilizing a cryogenic grinding process producing finer powders (140 mesh). This builds upon a previously funded REMADE project which revealed that this finer MRP can boost the recycled rubber content in commercial vehicle tires from 0.4% to 9.3% (an increase of 2,325%), without sacrificing tire performance. The initiative will consist of two phases. The first phase involves building 200-250 prototype tires containing the refined MRP and a recycled carbon black (rCB) technology. Michelin will then test these tires against regulatory benchmarks. The second phase includes fitting these prototypes onto commercial vehicles for real-world performance assessment. Success is gauged by comparing the prototypes with baseline tires. As rubber is carbon- and energy-intensive to synthesize, increasing the content of recycled rubber can significantly reduce the energy and carbon intensity of the American economy.

Award Amount: $900,000

Project Lead: Phinix, LLC

Partner Organizations: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Kingston Process Metallurgy, Smelter Services Corporation, Audubon Metals, Real Alloys, Spectro Alloys Corp.

Location: Clayton, Missouri

Description:  This project seeks to develop processes to remove Fe and Mn from molten aluminum scrap, allowing it to be recycled more easily. As the world's largest aluminum scrap exporter, the U.S. has enormous potential to develop a circular economy for aluminum and lower the energy and emissions profile of aluminum products. Currently, the high impurities, especially iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), make U.S. aluminum difficult to recycle. Current sorting methods can't remove these impurities from bonded alloy structures. Experimental results have successfully reduced Fe and Mn contents at bench scale. These outcomes, aided by thermodynamic software, have been confirmed in initial plant trials. Removing these impurities from molten aluminum scrap can help make aluminum recycling commercially viable.

Award Amount: $1,499,213

Project Lead: Aeternal Upcycling, Inc.

Partner Organizations: Inter-Rail Systems, Inc., Argonne National Laboratory

Location: Chicago, IL

Description: This project aims to establish a pilot plant that employs a cutting-edge chemical recycling technology, catalytic hydrogenolysis, to transform single-use plastics, primarily polyolefins, into high-value chemicals like waxes and lubricant oils. This unique approach sidesteps the typical method of breaking down plastics into fundamental blocks, instead producing premium chemical feedstocks directly. The process not only enhances the recycling rate of these plastics but also results in a nearly 75% cradle-to-gate emissions reduction by replacing petroleum-based products. The final product will undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety and quality. As virgin plastics are some of the most carbon- and energy-intensive products in the economy, enhancing the circularity of these materials can significantly lower the environmental and social costs of these products.

Award Amount: $503,592

Project Lead: Braskem America, Inc.

Partner Organizations: Adidas, Allbirds, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Description: This project aims to recycle EVA foam from shoe midsoles, transforming it into thermoplastic polymers suitable for new shoe production. As of Q1 2023, the technology sits at a lab scale (TRL 3) and is projected to reach a pilot scale demonstration (TRL6) by its end. Yet, the leap to commercial application demands extensive testing to ensure consistent quality and performance of recycled EVA foam for shoe components. Another key project goal is a techno-economic analysis to evaluate cost and energy implications of using recycled shoes as feedstock for new footwear foams. The project promises multiple paths for technology adaptation, potentially reducing the number of shoes discarded into US landfills.

Award Amount: $200,493

Project Lead: Michigan Tech University

Partner Organizations: Amcor Global

Location: Houghton, MI

Description: This project seeks to develop innovative tie/adhesive layers for multilayer plastics (MLPs) to enhance recyclability, allowing both mechanical recycling and water-based separation without compromising their performance in packaging. Multilayer plastics (MLPs), used extensively in packaging due to their affordability and versatility, present significant recycling challenges due to their intricate designs and varied material properties. Approximately 15-20% of MLPs are discarded during production, and their multifaceted nature makes reuse challenging. Current recycling methods involve harmful solvents or are limited in scope, and through the development of innovative adhesive layers tailored for multilayer plastics, this project aims to redefine packaging design and recycling methods, paving the way for a more sustainable economy.

Award Amount: $600,000

Partner Organizations: UW-Madison, Braskem America, LLC

Project Lead: Michigan Tech University

Location: Houghton, MI

Description: This project employs the Solvent Targeted Recycling and Precipitation (STRAP) technology to enhance plastic recyclability by extracting pure resin from mixed polymers, with a focus on obtaining high-purity PP from Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) polypropylene wastes for industry applications.Plastic waste poses global environmental challenges, with only 2% being recyclable via traditional mechanical methods. By using Solvent Targeted Recycling and Precipitation (STRAP) technology, which employs a solvent-based technique to dissolve specific resins from mixed polymers, this project intends to enable the extraction of pure resin that retains its original properties permitting greater plastic recyclability. Utilizing a unique thermodynamic database that predicts solvent-polymer solubility, STRAP has successfully extracted various high-quality resins from diverse waste types. This project aims to extract high-purity PP from Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) polypropylene wastes and validate its use in high-purity PP applications. This project's success could revolutionize how industries utilize PCR, with commercialization of STRAP being the ultimate goal. This offers the possibility to revolutionize plastic recycling and provide a potential sustainable solution to a major global waste challenge.

Award Amount: $670,840

Project Lead: UMass-Lowell

Partner Organizations: Braskem, Dow Chemical, AquaPak

Location: Lowell, MA

Description: This project seeks to advance the sustainable production and recycling of multilayer plastic films with superior properties by utilizing technologies such as a unique poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) polymer, ultrasound-assisted extrusion, and water-based material separation to create high-performance films that are easily separable. Thanks to PVOH's solubility in hot water, the films will feature minimal water/oxygen permeation and allow 100% material recovery. The University of Massachusetts Lowell, collaborating with material suppliers (AquaPak, Braskem, Dow), aims to reduce packaging material consumption and bolster recycling efforts. The two-year project's deliverables include processing protocols for these recyclable films and separation methods via aqueous dissolution. This project positions to reshape the packaging industry's economic landscape by facilitating 100% material recovery.

Award Amount: $1,251,359

Project Lead: rStream Recycling

Partner Organizations: D&K Engineering

Location: Boston, MA

Description: This project aims to address the gap in efficient waste sorting in non-industrial settings by developing a compact, AI-driven waste sorting system tailored for low-throughput environments like universities, airports, theme parks, and more. Despite the advancements in machine learning, most sorting machines are designed for large-scale operations and are not feasible for smaller applications. This results in recyclable materials often being discarded due to the lack of appropriate recycling programs. The proposed system, named rStream, seeks to enhance recycling rates by providing high-quality secondary feedstock for manufacturing. This would not only boost recycling in standard settings but also improve access in remote areas.

Award Amount: $1,281,345

Project Lead: University of Buffalo

Location: Buffalo, NY

Description: This project addresses the pressing need for accurate and efficient sorting technologies for plastics, specifically for resin identification codes (RIC) #3-#7. Current sorting methods lack accuracy and high-throughput capabilities, leading to cross-contamination and reducing the economic and environmental benefits of recycling. As a novel solution, the Transient Thermal Barcode (TTB) technology has been introduced, which uses mid-IR discrete wavelengths to project barcode-like thermal patterns onto plastics. These patterns, which represent different heat absorption levels by different plastics, can be quickly captured by an IR-camera. Combined with advanced machine learning, this system can accurately identify all 7 types of plastics, including the elusive black plastics and composites. The project aims to develop a fully functional system with a conveyer belt, robotic arms, bins, and an AI-backed TTB imaging system to revolutionize plastic sorting at Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving recycling rates.

Award Amount: $523,439

Project Lead: University of Buffalo

Partner Organizations: Accelerating Circularity, AMP Robotics, Ambercycle

Location: Buffalo, NY

Description: This project aims to revolutionize textile sorting in Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) by introducing automated spectroscopic recognition, enhancing the largely manual sorting process currently in place globally. The initiative focuses on merging visible and infrared spectroscopy with machine learning (ML) to swiftly identify textile compositions, facilitating the segregation of textiles into categories like resale, rag, fiber reclaim, and chemical recovery. The project will pinpoint "disruptors" in fiber-to-fiber textile recycling, which are typically hard to detect with current spectroscopic methods. This promises not only to amplify recycling rates but also to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, advancing economic circularity.

Award Amount: $526,336

Project Lead: Virginia Tech

Partner Organizations: Thiele Kaolin

Location: Blacksburg, VA

Description: This project aims to address the health and environmental consideration challenges in deinking spent fibers from papers printed with water-based inks. Traditional flotation technology fails to remove the pigments from such inks as they're hydrophilic. By building on previous research, this project plans to advance a method that makes these pigments hydrophobic, enabling their removal. Working alongside Thiele Kaolin Company, the goal is to combine this method with an existing technology used for oil-based inks, resulting in a unified approach to remove both oil and water-based inks. Another challenge is "stickies" that create operational issues in paper mills. The project proposes refining the "piggyback" flotation process to remove both water-based inks and stickies, reinforcing a more sustainable paper recycling process.