17 May CETEM is presenting an innovative sustainable method for the polyurethane foam recycling at FMY

In the Region of Murcia alone, over 100,000 mattresses and 50,000 sofas which have a difficult recycling process, are disposed of every year

A METHOD DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UMU AND UJI

The Furniture and Timber Technology Centre of the Region of Murcia (CETEM) will once again be attending the 62nd edition of the Yecla Furniture Fair (FMY) to turn its stand into a hub of technological breakthroughs for the industry. Therefore, from 28 to 31 May, it will unveil a new sustainable process for the recycling of polyurethane foam waste and further industrial reuse, focused on the circular economy.

This innovative technique, which is being patented worldwide, has been developed jointly with the University of Murcia (UMU) and the Jaume I University of Castellón (UJI), whose results, already tested on a laboratory scale, ‘are really impressive’, according to CETEM.

Polyurethane foam, a polymer widely used in habitat sector products such as mattresses and seating furniture, is a significant environmental challenge due to the fact that there is no clearly sustainable recycling method.

In fact, it is reckoned that, in the Region of Murcia alone, more than 100,000 mattresses and 50,000 sofas are discarded every year, which have a difficult and complex process for recycling, as polyurethane foam can be very complex to circulate.

Fast, efficient and highly sustainable

The new method offers an innovative and sustainable solution. Using a selective depolymerisation process, the polyols originally used in the synthesis of polyurethane foam are recovered, enabling direct reuse in the production of new polyurethane foam.

The most outstanding feature of this process is speed and efficiency, as it is carried out at low temperatures and with considerably lower energy consumption than other existing methods. Moreover, the use of organic solvents and other pollutants is avoided, making it a highly sustainable solution.

‘These polyols we recover are of top quality, ready for use with no further purification. This achievement stems from the use of compounds called ionic liquids, which act as a chemical reaction medium and are stable over time, non-polluting and completely recoverable and reusable,’ explain the Technological Centre of Furniture and Wood of the Region of Murcia.

The patented process allows reaction times of less than 10 hours and can be carried out at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius, which simplifies operating procedures and enhances process safety.

At the stand that CETEM (C9b) holds at Yecla Furniture Fair 2024, will show how this new method works ‘as an outstanding model of innovation in the furniture and timber industry, a traditional sector strongly involved in sustainability and circular economy’, the technology centre highlights.

About CETEM

CETEM is a private non-profit association based in the municipality of Yecla, where one of the most important furniture clusters in Spain is found. Its creation in 1994 was fostered by the Instituto de Fomento de la Región de Murcia (INFO), the Regional Association of Timber Entrepreneurs (AREMA), the Technological Institute of Furniture (AIDIMA), Yecla City Council, the Regional Council for Industry and Tourism, the Ministry of Industry and Energy, as well as the European Community.

30 years of activity and achievements in terms of innovation and technological development for companies in the industry have made it the main business benchmark in this key area and a driving force for Murcia region’s economy.  It is the main goal to carry out and pursue research and development initiatives, along with technological and innovative services and projects so as to improve, favour and encourage development as well as a consistent upgrading of companies in this industry.