Halocycles

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic industrial chemicals with a wide variety of compounds. The strength of the carbon-fluorine bond gives these substances unique physical and chemical properties, including chemical inertness, water repellency and resistance to fire, temperature and weathering. As a result, halogenated polymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are an integral part of technical applications.
These properties also mean that they are difficult to degrade in the environment. In view of the technical complexity and low efficiency of existing recycling processes, new innovative methods for recovering halogens are used. Instead of using thermal energy, an electrochemical process reduces halogens to halide anions, which retain their carbon structure and are available as a source of raw materials for various chemical processes. This process uses excess electricity, helping to stabilize the grid. Recycled halogen polymers have been extensively analysed to determine their material properties, with a view to transferring them to a more resource-efficient circular economy.

The research uses a variety of thermal and spectroscopic analysis methods to fully evaluate the properties of potential alternatives. These methods are essential to test the durability and resilience of the substitutes and to ensure that they can withstand the rigors of industrial use under real-life conditions.

The aim of these approaches is to recycle halogenated polymers and bring them into new high performance applications, contributing to pollution reduction and a sustainable circular economy.

The main goal of the project is to describe the prop-erties of the recycled halogen polymers in detail. For this purpose, extensive analyzes are carried out in order to gain a profound understanding of the ma-terial properties. These findings serve as a basis for effectively integrating the recycled halogen poly-mers into the circular economy.