Destinação de equipamentos de processo residuários constituídos de materiais compósitos

Abstract

Composite material, or simply composite, is the material formed by combining two or more materials together for the purpose of obtaining much better properties than those of the starting components. Composites are generally fibers bonded together by a substance that functions as a binder, called the matrix of the composite, which may be polymer (epoxy, polyether ketone), metal, special ceramics, and itself carbon. Although the composite material offers a great potential of use in different areas, as in process industry equipment, a new problem arises related to its correct (environmentally safe) destination, when it loses its properties, becoming a residue. The destination should be referenced to the concept of Environmental Management, which makes use of the environmental hierarchy instrument, which, in turn, considers the following decreasing order of priority regarding waste disposal: non-generation, reduction, reuse, recycling, treatment and final disposition. There are cases of industries that use this material in equipment. In several countries there are already environmental laws regulating the disposal and recycling of composite materials, leading to the development of technologies for this purpose. In Brazil, the National Solid Waste Policy was approved, which guides public and private entities to seek adequate destinations, in particular technologies to treat different types of materials, and among them, composite materials. Destinations are addressed in Brazil and Germany.