PRIME - Perfecting Research on Intelligent Material Exploitation

MIP

Industrial partner

Research partner

Subcontractor

Project leader

Synopsis

The PRIME project aims to improve the recyclability and the recycling of EoL flat screen TVs. This involves on one hand how the current generation of flat screen TVs can be optimally recycled. And on the other hand, it will be examined how a business model can be matched optimally to maximum recyclability. Moreover, an initial impetus for a flat screen C2C-inspired design will be given.

Objectives

From a holistic perspective, recycling means using state-of-the-art technology to undo the damage that others caused one life cycle ago. PRIME aims to channel through this unconscious market habit and incorporate the recycling aspect in the design of flat screen TVs. By doing so, we hope to also channel through the cost barrier while creating eco-effective IP that will strengthen the market position of the partners in their own fields of expertise. The materialization of this idea is the crucial goal of this project. An aligned driver is the maintenance and reinforcement of R&D activities, the creation of new industrial activities and the employment increase in Flanders.

A wider social and ecological driver behind this project is the reduction of societal costs of recuperation and waste processing as a direct consequence of TVs. The involved actors hope to set a new standard of excellence for best practice and best available technology and set an international example for C2C TV-development and recuperation programs. Indirectly there is also an ambition that this innovative project might spark a C2C and business model innovation revolution in other business or business segments as well.

In order to achieve this, other innovative goals must be met:

The development of algorithms to determine optimal disassembly levels and eco-effective clusters of components to maximize material purity and recyclability (linking pre-processing techniques and final material recovery will be instrumental in reaching this objective).
Connect pre-processing techniques and final material recovery.
Broadening the existing, process-based BAT-methodology to fully incorporate the entire value chain.
Develop new (shredding) techniques in tune with knowledge-exchange on LED technology to rocket recovery rates.
Generating a holistic vision on material flows, business models and design.