The Brno University of Technology was successful once again in this year’s call to establish cooperation between companies and research institutions through the JIC | innovation vouchers scheme run by the South-Moravian Region. Of the balloted applications, 60 % were obtained by BUT, mostly by the Faculty of Chemistry.

Recycling plastic waste is presently a technically demanding matter and environmental burden. The quantity of consumed packaging made of plastics is growing every year. In the Czech Republic, 70 % of inhabitants take part in sorting all kinds of wastes, and 40 kg of waste per citizen is sorted each year (plastic, paper, glass, drinks cartons) (1). The Czech Republic is therefore one of those EU countries which sort waste responsibly, including plastic waste. However, recyclable plastics - PET bottles - can be processed in an alternative manner now offered by BUT.

The disposal of plastic products is very difficult and poses a significant global burden on the environment. This problem is resolved through the use of bioplastics based on PHA, which decompose spontaneously after some time and which are able to replace the PET bottles and other plastic products which have been used to date. Unfortunately, the production of bioplastic has been quite difficult and energy-consuming. However, a team led by Doc. Márová of the Faculty of Chemistry has discovered a method of producing PHA bioplastics from oil used in deep-frying.

Scientists from the Faculty of Chemistry have developed a material produced by a special technology from a modified inorganic cement (e.g. an aluminate cement with the addition of a refractory component), a polymer soluble in water (e.g. a polyvinyl alcohol acetate of polyphosphate), water and a plasticiser (e.g. glycerol) for heat-resistant applications.

One of the reasons for using waste secondary raw materials is the considerable increase in the global production of building materials, which means an ever increasing consumption of Portland cement (PC). However, production of Portland cement is extremely energy demanding. 

One of technological problems of applying refractory concretes as a lining in furnaces is the adverse effect of carbon deposited on ceramics on the chemical and thermal resistance of these materials. A scientific team at the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, have also now successfully dealt with this issue.