Supercritical CO2 has a wide range of recycling applications. Its solvent and diffusion properties mean that it can be used to clean a metal generated during machining, or toextract a contaminant from a polymer matrix.
When machining metal parts, large quantities of metal chips are generated.
These swarf are loaded with oil, and a cleaning step is required before they can be remelted.
Using supercritical CO2 to degrease machining swarf offers a number of advantages over traditional processes. The process is environmentally friendly:
- No solvents harmful to humans or the environment
- Recovery of dissolved oils and greases without any trace of solvents for reuse in production or destruction in a specialised facility.
Supercritical CO2 is used to degrease chips while respecting the material (no oxidation).
CO2 is compatible with all types of materials, including aluminium and most polymers.
Its neutrality in relation to materials means that it does not oxidise or attack them during cleaning, degreasing or decarticulation.
Suitable for all types of parts, even those that are particularly difficult to clean, such as complex parts with blind holes or tubes.
Cleaning quality complies with the standards defined in ISO 15001, ISO 13485, etc.
In many industries, wiping cloths are used to absorb grease, oil, etc.
In most cases, they are thrown away and destroyed.
In most cases, they are thrown away and destroyed. The quantity of water needed to degrease them and make them suitable for industrial use again would be far too great, generating hydrocarbon pollution in the water.
Supercritical CO2 technology can replace processes that use water and detergents, or polluting organic solvents, to degrease and decontaminate these wipes and enable them to be reused in the industrial sector.
Otherwise, instead of simply being incinerated, they can be transformed into recycled secondary materials.
The collection of textiles at the end of their life is becoming more and more common and consumers are used to it, but after an initial sorting, many of these textiles are condemned and end up being incinerated, because they are polluted or contaminated by micro-organisms, bad smells, etc.
Supercritical CO2 can penetrate right to the heart of textile fibres to extract various types of pollution and odours, and kill micro-organisms.
Polymers often contain numerous additives or molecules/compounds that give them the properties required for their intended application (plasticisers, reinforcing fillers, colourants, additives, etc.).
They may also contain residues from their synthesis (monomers, solvents, etc.).
So it may be necessary to extract the polluting molecules in order to recycle the material for new applications.
CO2's diffusion properties enable it to extract them right to the heart of the material. It can diffuse between polymer chains.
Adopt an effective solution for the decontamination and recycling of used materials today
1- Ergonomic loading:
Our cleaning chambers are horizontal to facilitate loading and unloading of heavy loads.
2- High production rates:
Our machines are sized to meet your production rates and not the other way around.
3- Production availability:
Our machines require little maintenance (a few hours a month at most) and no recurrent machine stoppages for oil changes, for example, are to be expected.
Look no further. You've found the world's best supercritical CO2 equipment.
