8 May 2025
A team of researchers from Universidade de Aveiro (UAveiro), part of the Associated Laboratory CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, has developed an innovative technology for recycling polyamides, a plastic widely used in industry. The work was carried out at the Águeda School of Technology and Management (ESTGA) and the Department of Chemistry (DQ) of UAveiro, and has already resulted in a national patent application to protect the technology.
Polyamide is used, for example, in the manufacture of carpets, sports shoes, mountaineering ropes, fabrics, seals and car components.
The team that developed the method is made up of Artur Ferreira and Ana Timmons, professors at ESTGA and DQ respectively, as well as researchers Nuno Gama and Bruno Godinho. According to Artur Ferreira, the method offers a more environmentally sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional recycling processes. "The method we have developed makes it possible to recycle polyamides in a simpler way, eliminating the need for extreme conditions, such as high pressures, or the use of reagents that can be aggressive to the environment in high concentrations that are often used in traditional approaches. In addition, the product obtained does not require further purification or separation and can be reused directly in the production of new materials," explains the researcher.
The new approach is based on acidolysis reactions, producing a viscous liquid similar to the original polyamide monomers. This makes it possible to manufacture new materials with properties equivalent to those of products derived from virgin raw materials. The method, which has already been validated on a laboratory scale, is currently in the industrial scale phase, with the aim of producing recycled polyamides for applications similar to the initial ones.
With a focus on circularity and sustainability, the technology presents itself as a solution that contributes significantly to the reduction of plastic waste, minimizing the sending of materials to landfills or incineration. In addition, this innovation positions UAveiro as a benchmark in the development of technological solutions to contemporary environmental challenges.
The national patent application was submitted by UACOOPERA, UAveiro unit responsible for protecting the results of R&D, entrepreneurship and cooperation with the business sector, and it is hoped that the protection of the invention can be extended to other territories in the future.
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Ana Margarida Madeira Viegas de Barros Timmons
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