VAPOREE

Waste recycling is a major economic and ecological challenge for today's society. It helps to limit the depletion of natural resources and also limits waste volumes and encourages the transition from a linear to a circular economy. Against this backdrop, the Vaporee project led by Charlotte Hurel, is investigating ways of recycling industrial waste, with the aim of obtaining porous adsorbent materials (known as hydrochars). Once transformed, recycled industrial waste can be used for environmental or energy applications. To achieve this objective, the research team acquired a TRISTAR II specific surface and mesoporosity analyzer, an instrument used for calculating the absorbent potential of a material, a crucial piece of data when it comes to water decontamination. The project focuses more particularly on a waste product from the cosmetics/perfume industry: lavender waste. After the essential oils have been extracted by the industry, lavender waste is recovered, heated until carbonaceous materials are obtained, then tested using a specific surface area analyzer. Perfect control of heating time and temperature is essential to successfully prepare the perfect absorbent material. These parameters vary from one material to another, and are particularly important for lavender. The entire material production chain is optimized for energy consumption, in line with the Vaporee project's sustainable development approach. After treatment, and given the material's remarkable adsorption capacities, there are two possible recycling options:

Compaction and adsorption tests carried out on materials derived from lavender waste have been highly convincing. It is now up to industry to commercialize the cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly materials developed by the Vaporee project.