Project Phases ( process tabs)

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the research and development project was the design and testing of innovative materials obtained from the processing of natural raw materials, but with intrinsic characteristics that allow it to be used, if treated and/or appropriately adjusted, high-value-added for obtaining unusual specific features for reference application areas.

The phases of the project were aimed at enhancing the raw material according to technologies and processes that do not exist in the field today, the creation of semi-finished products and their use for the production of new products not currently available on the market.

Each of the three proposers dealt with a specific process phase, based on the skills and structures of their relevance.

The whole process was schematically divided into three sub-processes:

1) Commodity transformation (bentonitic clays; by the SVIMISA proposer) semi-finished products suitable for entering

1. directly in the production process of end products;
2. in the process of "atomization".

2) Production of "atomized" semi-finished (Half)

3) Production of finished products based on bentonitic (Cinicola)

The aim of the project was to enhance national bentonic products currently considered by-products of refining inerts for ceramic use, through appropriate innovative processing and processing processes, to enable its use in innovative sectors – and potentially even in traditional sectors.

The project set itself the main objective of using processing scraps from a specific cycle

turning them into new raw materials for a new production cycle, innovative technological and market characteristics, from a circular economy perspective.

The result of the project was a series of technologically innovative bentonitic raw materials and semi-processed materials (that is, "Advanced Materials") to be used in the production of innovative end products based on bentonia that cannot be produced with the bentonic materials currently available at the industrial level.

A preliminary analysis by the partners identified the semi-processed and the main products that were intended to be studied and developed with the project financed within the call on 1 June. 2016 "Horizon 2020– PON 2014/2020" Prog. N. F/050217/01-03/X32

The chemical and physical characteristics of the raw raw material, natural sodite bentonite with a high concentration of smectite, have required the use of existing technologies and applied in completely different sectors, never adopted at the industrial level for this type of material. Preliminary analyses carried out by the proposers demonstrated the feasibility of the work and produced very promising preliminary results which then allowed the macro definition of the process steps and the research and development activities necessary to develop a prototyped production line that is sustainable and efficient.

The application of the industrial methodology, which leads to the production of bentonitic-based atomized products on an industrial scale, was then attempted., being an absolute technological innovation.

The starting bentonitic material is completely natural. Its sodic nature is also natural, which differs greatly from the generally kicking nature of the normally available bentoniti which therefore require a process (activation said) to be turned into sodiche.

In addition, the starting structure, also natural, it's very fine grain size (Order of the 80 Micron).

This gives the material unique features, complexity to the processing steps that the project has faced.

Finally, the availability of bentonic materials in traditional form ("zolle" and "granulate") but with extremely strong performance (in chemical-physical terms), both of atomized products derived from them, they were designed and developed from the specifications defined according to the characteristics of specific final products, identified by cinicola partner. It is therefore a closed-loop design – with a circular economy – that starts from market needs and ends with the enhancement of natural material, appropriate design and development steps.

The industrial validity of the project is supported by the sales volumes estimated by the proposers, very interesting even in percentage terms on their respective sales.

The project has been shown to show that the bentonitic material of the SVIMISA project partner is potentially suitable for achieving the objectives set. Significant improvements in the performance of this material have therefore been defined through appropriate interventions both at the level of mineral processing at the SVIMISA plant and subsequent treatments.. In particular,, well-toned with high smectite content, reduce/eliminate synthetic polymer additives.

The project has resulted in high-performance semi-finished products that can be used to produce innovative products that are also of high value.

The semi-finished products developed and developed during the project will also help to increase supply from new alternative sources, better quality than the traditional bentonic materials currently available, with lower performance and often from foreign sources.

The production of end products (then enter the consumer and business market) bentonitic base will allow to respond with a national production of innovative products not yet existing on the market or as a replacement for foreign products.

The objectives achieved are in line with developments on world markets, starting from that of raw materials, in which there is a progressive specialization of the production of raw materials with increasingly strong performance.