Dipartimento di Chimica

High Tech Recycling Center

The High Tech Recycling Research Center (HTR) is an inter-university research center with the participation of the La Sapienza University of Rome (operative center), the University of L'Aquila, the University of Genoa, the University of Bologna, the University of Cagliari, the Polytechnic of Marche and the National Research Council (Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering).

Founded in 2007, HTR Center promotes the development of innovative processes for the treatment of secondary raw materials such as technological wastes (batteries, photovoltaic panels, catalysts) and agro-industrial wastes, by putting together the know-how from different research areas of industrial chemistry and chemical engineering of the researchers from the different participating universities.

Management

Francesca Pagnanelli

Activity

• Development of innovative hydrometallurgical processes for the recycling of technological wastes.
• Development of innovative biotechnological processes for the production of fine chemicals.
• Development of innovative products (bioadsorbent materials, nanostructured metal-based materials).
• Technical-economic feasibility and environmental impact (process analysis and life cycle analysis - LCA).

Funded projects 

• Removal of As from water using innovative BIO-adsorbents produced from byproducts of the agro-industrial sector (LIFE BioAs LIFE19 ENV/IT/000512). Co-financed by the European community in the LIFE call.
• Innovative and integrated process for the production of BIoPellet starting from waste Muddies (BIPAM): co-funded by the Lazio Region in the Circular Economy and Energy Call for the POR-FESR LAZIO 2014-2020 Integrated Projects Program.
• MicroalgaE biomass from phototrophic-heterotrophic cultivation using olive oil Wastewaters (MEWLIFE): EU LIFE + co-funding (website: www.mewlife.eu).
• Optimization of a zero-waste treatment for the recycling of photovoltaic modules at the end of life (ORIFO): co-funded by the Ministry for the environment and the protection of the territory and the sea Competition for the co-financing of research projects aimed at developing new technologies recovery, recycling and treatment of WEEE (website: http://ecorecycling.eu/it/news/orifo).
• EU-wide co-funded EU LIFE + (website: http://www.photolifeproject.eu/).
• Innovative Hydrometallurgical Processes to recover Metals from WEEE, fluorescent lamps and batteries - Demonstration (HydroWEEE DEMO): co-funded by the European Community FP7-ENV-2012-two-stage (http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/158626_en .html).
• Innovative Hydrometallurgical Processes to recover Metals from WEEE, fluorescent lamps and batteries (HydroWEEE): co-funded by the European Community as part of the Research for the benefit of SMEs program, FP7-SME-2008-1).
• Energy Algae Project: co-funded by the Ministry for the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea in the field of research funding for energy efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy sources in urban areas (website: http : //www.eco-one.it/alghe-energetiche/).
• Nanohydro: Production of metallic nanoparticles recovered from hitech waste: co-funded by FILAS.
• Development of innovative hydrometallurgical processes for the treatment of WEEE: co-funded by MIUR.