BUILD-LIMONENE: making construction materials from industrial CO2 emissions and citrus peels
The BUILD-LIMONENE initiative is developing sustainable and efficient materials for the construction industry obtained from carbon dioxide generated by industries in the Valencian Community and waste produced by the citrus sector.
The project partners are AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, the Institute of Chemical Technology, Zuvamesa, a company which produces citrus juice, Lamberti Iberia, which produces chemical products, and Laurentia Technologies, which specialises in synthesising and manufacturing nanomaterials.
The project aims to use CO2 and waste from Valencia's citrus sector to make new, sustainable materials for the construction industry. This research project has received funding from the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI) and the European Union under the Valencian Community ERDF Programme for 2021-2027.
Specifically, the BUILD-LIMONENE initiative is endeavouring to develop additives and biodegradable materials with a lower carbon footprint that can be used in the construction industry and become viable alternatives to the fossil-based materials currently available.
This new technology will contribute to the recovery of waste by using citrus peels and CO2 emissions.
Currently, most additives and coatings for construction materials are obtained from virgin fossil materials. This project is studying the processes involved in producing polycarbonates and polyurethanes based on or synthesised from CO2 to open up a new field of innovation that promotes the development of construction materials with fewer harmful effects.
The project is currently in the experimentation stage. The catalytic reaction of limonene oxide and CO2 is being optimised to obtain polycarbonates with specific characteristics. Limonene is a natural chemical substance that can be extracted from citrus peels and is a fundamental ingredient in these formulations.