CelluSep

Initial situation & project description

The CelluSep project addresses the separation of composite materials consisting of paper/cardboard and other materials such as aluminum or plastics. Such materials pose a challenge in the recycling process because clean separation of the cellulose fraction is necessary for recycling the plastic or aluminum fraction. Mechanical separation is often impossible or too costly. The use of cellulolytic enzymes (cellulases) represents an interesting alternative here. These enzymes are capable of completely breaking down the cellulose into glucose and converting it into a solution. The remaining solid material (plastic or aluminum) can then be separated from the liquid. The project is investigating the use of composite materials as a substrate solution for solid-state fermentation with cellulolytic fungi. An alternative approach involves the fermentative production of enzyme solutions, which are then used to hydrolyze the cellulose content of the composite materials. Another project goal is to use the resulting glucose solutions for fermentative purposes.