Processes

The use of MFCA can yield many benefits for businesses, including better evaluation and understanding of the costs related to material inefficiencies, greater emphasis on the economic gains of minimizing waste and production losses and the identification and prioritization of the actions to be undertaken (e.g., input substitution, process modification, internal recycling and the sale of by-products to increase profitability). As a tool, MFCA also has the power to convince business leaders to address environmental issues.

While MFCA is relevant, it requires the detailed modeling of the material flows within a business. The tool entails energy-intensive data collection and a thorough knowledge of production costs. The analysis therefore requires time, resources and expertise that are not always available in-house.

With that in mind, the research project aims to develop a simplified MFCA methodology to be used by SMEs and demonstrate the benefits and impacts of using simplified MFCA.

The project seeks to gain more basic knowledge of the recyclability of the plastic used in a medical context. By focusing on the particular context of 3D printed boluses for radiation therapy in cancer patients, the initiative will assess the influence of recycling processes and radiotherapy treatments on the structure and properties of the material (PLA, polylactic acid) before it is reused in treatment.

The project has three sub-objectives:

1. Determine the extent to which repeated shredding-extrusion-3D printing shaping affects the properties of PLA.
2. Determine the influence of radiation treatment (i.e., repeated application of high-energy photons or electrons) and the regular application of cleaning agents on the polymer’s properties.
3. Evaluate the combined effect of shaping and radiotherapy treatment on the recyclability of PLA.

The project focuses on the development of a new recyclable 3D printing feedstock for low-cost printers.

It explores the unique reaction of nickel and iron with carbon monoxide, which form nickel and iron carbonyl, respectively, to provide an ideal mechanism to recycle the metals, as well as nickel- and iron-based products.

The research aims to develop metal-infused recyclable filaments with high concentrations of nickel and iron carbonyl powders to make functional and resistant metal parts using widespread, low-cost 3D printing processes such as fused filament fabrication.

Bécancour’s industrial park and port are home to 11 industrial enterprises and more than 15 service companies. Collectively, they use a number of energy sources for their industrial processes and heating. Some also generate energy locally as a main product or co-product. It is possible to decarbonize this energy consumption through various circular economy strategies, including process optimization and the local reuse of waste heat, as well as the establishment of local energy co-product exchanges and joint infrastructures for co-product sharing.

Rooted in industrial ecology, the strategy involves the identification and implementation of industrial synergies within a park, territory or region to spark a culture of industrial by-product recovery, collaboration and resource sharing within industrial symbioses. The technical and economic analysis and eventual optimization of the options to implement the opportunities require a more comprehensive view of the networking possibilities for local stakeholders and a more local perspective to ensure stakeholders’ long-term participation. In the case of industrial synergies involving pooling or joint investments, the participation of all stakeholders is required.

The overarching objective is two-fold. The first is scientific and relates to the development of a mixed integer linear programming model to optimize the opportunities for synergies and industrial networking within an industrial park. The second is practical and relates to the realization of a technical and economic study of the opportunities to decarbonize the energy sources used in Bécancour’s industrial park and port.