High-quality recyclate for top-performance products

What does CurTec do?

CurTec designs, manufactures and distributes high-performance plastic (HDPE) packaging for the pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals industries, for example, for packaging of active pharmaceutical ingredients or 3D printing powders.

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CurTec originated from Curver. While Curver focuses on consumers, CurTec primarily targets industrial customers. CurTec’s products range in volume from 300 ml to 150 liters.

“Our packaging is of high quality and is therefore extensively tested and certified. We mainly focus on high-value materials across various sectors. Both pharmaceutical raw materials, as well as food ingredients and hazardous chemicals, are protected in our drums, pails, and jars.”

CurTec has ambitious sustainability goals. The actions linked to these goals have now put us at the forefront of our market when it comes to sustainability,” says Rob. “For example, we calculate the CO₂ footprint of our products. That helps our customers with their Scope 1, 2, and 3 reporting in the context of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

How did you get in touch with TNO Fast Track?

We wanted to determine the technical feasibility of a closed-loop solution for our products. Since CurTec primarily employs mechanical engineers, we initially started looking for a graduation intern. I was looking for a student in organic chemistry and ended up at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda,” says Rob.

To ensure the project was carried out with sufficient depth, he landed on the TNO Fast Track website. “I knew there was expertise at TNO in this area because I had already been in contact with Aike Wypkema from the Materials Solutions department of the Energy & Materials Transition Unit, and Niek Knoben from Brightlands Materials Center,” Rob continues.

What was your first technological challenge, and how was it solved?

“The main challenge was to establish the link between mechanical behavior and the chemical properties of the molecule,” says Rob. Rob wanted to determine how much the mechanical performance of HDPE deteriorates during recycling, and to develop a method based on its chemical properties to compensate for that. This way, we aimed to ensure that CurTec’s materials continued to meet the same high-quality standards, even after being recycled multiple times. “That’s necessary to keep the product UN certified,” according to Rob.

The central challenge was divided into two parts. First, we identified which chemical analysis techniques could detect chemical degradation in HDPE. From those, the most suitable techniques were selected. “Then we applied those analysis techniques in three different aging simulations,” says Rob. The chemical results from these simulations were compared with the mechanical performance. This allowed us to identify which chemical indicators signal that the material no longer meets mechanical requirements. Additionally, we were able to determine how to compensate for that,” Rob concludes.

“We learned that there was a slight degradation,” Rob continues. “We also demonstrated that the compensation method we developed works, and that the degradation of HDPE remains limited. This way, the quality stays as high and consistent as possible, and we can guarantee the performance of our products. Throughout the entire process, Aike and Niek remained involved.”

What does the next phase look like?

“We’re going to approach the authorizing body BVI to request permission to use multiple-times recycled HDPE in a UN-certified product,” says Rob. In addition to this research on extruded products, CurTec also wants to investigate whether the same results can be achieved with injection molding. That will be the next step.

How do you reflect on the collaboration via TNO Fast Track?

Rob looks back on a pleasant collaboration where “the passion for the subject matter, the willingness to share information, and the joint effort to come up with suggestions” were central.

"The collaboration was simply very good, and it was easy to access the expertise,” says Rob. “Stef – business developer at TNO Fast Track – closely monitored the collaboration to see whether other related research questions could be addressed by TNO’s experts. Stef really opens the right doors within TNO, based on CurTec’s research needs,” Rob concludes.

More info

Want more information about CurTec? Visit the CurTec website and get in touch. Do you have a challenge of your own? Contact TNO Fast Track to make an impact together.