Course: Principles of circular economy

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Course title Principles of circular economy
Course code KECHT/1PCIE
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Doctoral
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 10
Language of instruction English
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Kuráň Pavel, doc. Dr. Ing.
Course content
The course complements and expands students' knowledge in the field of circular economy and methods of analysing recycled products. Lectures will be dedicated to an explanation of recycling methods of common municipal and industrial waste with a special focus on mechanical and chemical recycling methods. The main aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of what type of recycling method is suitable for recycling a particular municipal or industrial waste and how to analyse the products of chemical recycling methods, especially pyrolysis oils from plastics and biomass. The course consists of the following topics: 1. Introduction to circular economy, legislation, and terminology of recycling methods. 2. Definition and description of mechanical recycling - merits and demerits of recycling. 3. Selected application of mechanical recycling. 4. Definition and description of chemical recycling - thermal and chemical processes. 5. Thermal processes of chemical recycling (pyrolysis, gasification). 6. Selected application of thermal processes (pyrolysis). 7. Chemical processes of chemical recycling - solvolysis (glycolysis, hydrolysis), selective dissolution. 8. Selected application of solvolysis and selective dissolution. 9. Analysis of chemical recycling products, especially pyrolysis oils. 10. Corrosion in chemical recycling. 11. Modern trends in chemical recycling methods. Literature: 1. Harrison et al., Waste as a Resource (Issues in Environmental Science and Technology, RSC Publishing, (2013). 2. R. Francis, Recycling of Polymers: Methods, Characterization and Aplications, Wiley-VCH Verlag, (2016). 3. Ch. Meskers, E. Worrell, M. A. Reuter, Handbook of Recycling: State-Of-The-Art for Practitioners, Analysts, and Scientists, Elsevier, (2023). 4. RPA Europe. Chemical Recycling of Polymeric Materials from Waste in the Circular Economy. Final report prepared for the European Chemicals Agency (2021). Available online at: https://www.mpo.cz/assets/cz/prumysl/chemicke-latky-a-smesi/reach-povinnosti-a-informace/2021/11/Zprava-Chemicka-recyklace.pdf 5. J. Snow, J. Lederer, P. Kuran, P. Koutnik, Dechlorination during pyrolysis of plastics: Effect of municipal plastic waste composition. Fuel Proc. Technol. 248 (2023) 107823. 6. J. Hubacek, J. Hubáček, J. Lederer, P. Kuráň, P. Koutník, Z. Gholami, M. Zbuzek, M. Bačiak, Dechlorination during pyrolysis of plastics: The potential of stepwise pyrolysis in combination with metal sorbents. Fuel Proc. Technol. 231 (2022) 107226.

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified
Recommended literature


Study plans that include the course