22 November 2023
LIFE GREEN VULCAN project held its 4th and final Monitoring visit in Turin, at the Stellantis headquarters, on November 14th and 15th. The Project Coordinator, Francesco di Pierro, opened the meeting extended a warm welcome to partners, including Project Officer Aurelio Politano and project monitor Lorenzo Mengali, and providing a comprehensive overview of the journey and accomplishments.
Nicola Pugno, UNITN, unveiled the final results of Action A1 highlighting the calibration of a physically based rubber compound simulation tool. Filippo Fochesato, RUBBER, then presented the outcomes of Action B1, showcasing the development of SRC Devulcanized Masterbatches, characterizations, and industrial testing.
Michele Rabito Crescimanno, Stellantis, followed with the final results of sub-action B2.1, focusing on the preindustrial production of spring pads and their characterization. Mauro Patelli, BRIDGESTONE, introduced Action B3, paving the way for Alessandra Calzetta’s presentation on sub-action B3, which emphasized the preindustrial production of PCR treads formulated using SRC Devulcanized Masterbatches and the subsequent qualification procedure.
Elisa D’Amico, Ambiente Italia, shed light on the final results of Action C1, providing insights into the monitoring of the project’s impact through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Francesco Di Pierro, INNOVANDO, PC, then discussed the achievements of Action C2, focusing on monitoring exploitable results, including Intellectual Property Rights, business planning, replication, and transferability. The consortium had the opportunity to visit various facilities, including the testing department, the group materials lab, the Plastics and multifunctional materials lab, the dynamic materials characterization lab, and the elastomers lab. This immersive experience provided a firsthand look at the tangible aspects of the project’s outcomes.
The visit extended beyond Stellantis headquarters as the LIFE GREEN VULCAN consortium explored Salgomma, a Stellantis supplier. Here, the intricate molding process for components developed as part of the project was showcased, further exemplifying the real-world applications and impact of the LIFE GREEN VULCAN initiative.
