CircEcon

The fields of chemistry, process engineering and mechanical engineering must work together synergistically in order to keep product parts and components in the cycle. The CIRCECON project has dedicated itself to this challenging integration task. This commitment sets it apart from other circular economy projects. The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG) is contributing its many years of expertise and special problem-solving skills to the network, particularly in the mechanical sorting of residual material mixtures. However, this is only part of its contribution.

The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG) is a research-intensive university of applied sciences in the region, whose roots lie in the "Energy University" and which has repeatedly devoted itself to the current issues of the time over the decades. In 1992, the social sciences were added to the engineering sciences, as it was recognized that numerous transformation processes cannot be mastered technically alone. As a result, the field of research and study at the HSCG has continuously changed and adapted, integrating issues from the areas of society and business.

The necessary step from the linear production chain to cycles was also recognized at an early stage, taken into account in teaching and research at the HSZG and already tested on site on a laboratory and pilot scale. The CIRCECON project is now creating the opportunity to concentrate future research and development activities at a globally unique technology pool for the circular economy at the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park. The HSZG is focusing in particular on dismantling, sorting and thermal conversion and is working closely with colleagues from the technical universities in Chemnitz, Dresden and Freiberg.

The content of the three key research areas of the HSZG is defined as follows:

• In the long term, complex technical systems are to be dismantled fully automatically in the area of disassembly and virtual augmented reality solutions are to be integrated in order to achieve optimum recovery of parts and components.
• In the area of sorting , new sensor combinations and machine learning methods (e.g. artificial neural networks) are to be used to identify groups of materials. The aim is also to make these processes as flexible as possible in order to be able to react to constantly changing input streams. The products obtained are either further purified in chemical recycling (TU Dresden) or can be used directly as recyclate (TU Chemnitz).
• The Thermal Utilization research group deals with the extraction of energetically and materially "green" carbon from the residual materials that inevitably remain even after the application of modern recycling methods. It focuses on modern process combinations that are used at conventional conversion temperatures.

The economic, ecological and social effects are evaluated in all of this.

CIRCECON thus brings together researchers from a variety of specialist disciplines who work together on an interdisciplinary basis. In addition, close links are to be established with the technical universities in order to realize a holistic location concept. At the HSZG, all the threads come together with Prof. Zschunke, who is contributing his experience as Institute Director and former Vice-Rector for Research.