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Clean Technol.
Special Issues
Selected Papers from Circular Materials Conference 2025
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Selected Papers from Circular Materials Conference 2025

A special issue of Clean Technologies (ISSN 2571-8797).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 4787

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chuan Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Swerim AB, Box 812, SE-97125 Luleå, Sweden
Interests: energy saving; pyrometallurgy; CO2 reduction in metallurgy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Burçak Ebin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 4, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Interests: batteries; battery recycling; WEEE& solar module recycling; metal extraction/recovery; supercritical CO2
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Martina Petranikova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Energy and Materials Division, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 4, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Interests: battery recycling; hydrometallurgy; metal extraction; metal recovery from primary and secondary sources
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 7th Circular Materials Conference 2025 (15–16 October 2025) provides a unique platform for knowledge exchange, debate, and networking among international key players from academia, industry, and policy. As we navigate the transition towards circular business models and sustainable material flows, this conference offers the opportunity to rethink materials through the lens of emerging technologies and cross-sector collaboration.

This forum welcomes professionals and stakeholders at the forefront of circular innovation. Participants include thought leaders in the circular economy, CEOs, R&D managers, producers, recyclers, collectors, retailers, policy-makers, representatives of global institutions and NGOs, researchers, clean-tech investors, and media professionals.

The conference will explore a wide range of topics within the field of circular materials, including strategies for EV battery recycling, the circular use of photovoltaic (PV) modules, the recovery of metals from secondary sources, and the waste management of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ashes. Other areas of focus include circular packaging, the treatment of textiles, and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Research on the following topics can be submitted to Batteries:

  • EV battery recycling;
  • Sustainable batteries;
  • Future battery recycling technologies. 
  • Research on the following topics can be submitted to Clean Technology:
  • Circular economy strategies;
  • Circular packaging;
  • Plastic circularity;
  • Material circularity and recycling of photovoltaic (PV) modules;
  • Metals and CRM from secondary sources;
  • Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE);
  • Municipal solid waste incineration and fly ash;
  • Building and construction circularity;
  • Quantifying circular economy via life cycle assessments;
  • Circularity in fiber-reinforced polymer composites;
  • Circular strategies in textile design, reuse, and recycling.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Batteries.

Dr. Chuan Wang
Dr. Burçak Ebin
Dr. Martina Petranikova
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Clean Technologies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • waste management
  • battery recycling
  • direct recovery
  • circular materials
  • metal extraction
  • plastic recovery
  • textile recycling
  • second life
  • circular economy
  • LCA

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 2785 KB  
Article
Recycling of Sustainable Automotive Structural Composites via Pyrolysis, Technical and Climate Impact Evaluation
by Ann-Christine Johansson, Rebecka Nordsvahn, André Selander, Torun Hammar, Jesper Eman and Magdalena Juntikka
Clean Technol. 2026, 8(2), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol8020059 - 17 Apr 2026
Viewed by 671
Abstract
Sustainable structural composites can significantly lower vehicle-related emissions. To evaluate the recycling of different composite materials, laboratory-scale pyrolysis was conducted and assessed both technically and environmentally. Two demonstrators were studied: a truck side skirt made from natural flax and hemp fibres with polypropylene [...] Read more.
Sustainable structural composites can significantly lower vehicle-related emissions. To evaluate the recycling of different composite materials, laboratory-scale pyrolysis was conducted and assessed both technically and environmentally. Two demonstrators were studied: a truck side skirt made from natural flax and hemp fibres with polypropylene (PP), and a car front header composed of glass fibres and PP. Additional materials examined included thermoplastic composites containing polyamide 6 (PA6), bio-based polyamide 11 (PA11) and thermoset polyester. Results showed that material type strongly influenced the pyrolysis outcome, product composition and recycling potential. Glass fibres could be recovered and reused as reinforced fibres, while natural fibres could be recovered as biooil for potential use in biofuel production. Polymers were recovered as pyrolysis products that, depending on their composition, can be used in different applications, from recovering monomers from PA6 to producing hydrocarbons that may replace naphtha (from PP) or aromatics (from polyester) in the petrochemical industry. Life cycle assessment (LCA) findings revealed that the climate impact of composite recycling is primarily driven by the environmental burdens of the recycling process itself and by the ability of recovered materials and chemicals to substitute conventional fossil-based alternatives. Efficient recycling pathways are therefore essential to maximising environmental benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Circular Materials Conference 2025)
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8 pages, 441 KB  
Article
Enabling Circular Copper Flows in Electric Motor Lifecycle
by Linda Sandgren, Sri Ram Gnanesh, Erik Johansson, Victoria Van Camp, Magnus Karlberg, Mats Näsström and Roland Larsson
Clean Technol. 2026, 8(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol8010016 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 799
Abstract
Copper is a strategic raw material and an important component in electric motors, widely used across industries because of its excellent conductivity and recyclability. It plays an important role in the transformation from fossil fuel-based systems to green, electrified systems. However, substantial material [...] Read more.
Copper is a strategic raw material and an important component in electric motors, widely used across industries because of its excellent conductivity and recyclability. It plays an important role in the transformation from fossil fuel-based systems to green, electrified systems. However, substantial material losses continue throughout the lifecycle of electric motors, even with copper’s intrinsic capacity for circularity. Also, copper’s increasing demand, which is driven by the emergence of electric vehicles, industrial electrification, and renewable energy infrastructure, poses questions regarding its sustainable supply. The recovery of secondary copper sources from end-of-life (EoL) products is becoming more and more important in this context. However, it is still difficult to achieve circularity of copper, especially from industrial electric motors. This study investigates the challenges of closing the loop for copper during the lifecycle of motors in industrial applications. Based on an examination of EoL strategies, material flow insights, and practical investigation, the research pinpoints significant inefficiencies in the current processes. The widespread use of scraping as an approach of end-of-life management is one significant issue. Most of the electric motors are not built to separate their components, which makes both mechanical and manual disassembly difficult. The quality of recovered copper is thus compromised by the dominance of mixed metal shredding methods in the recycling step. This study highlights the need for systemic changes in addition to technical solutions to address copper circularity issues. It requires a focus on circularity in designing, giving disassembly and metal recovery a priority. This study focuses on circularity and its technological challenges in a value chain of copper. It not only identifies different processes such as supply chain disconnections and design constraints, but it also suggests workable solutions to close the copper flow loop in the electric motor sector. Copper quality and recovery is ultimately a problem involving design, technology, and cooperation, in addition to resources. This study supports the transition to a more sustainable and circular electric motor industry by offering a basis for directing such changes in industry practices and prospective EU regulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Circular Materials Conference 2025)
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19 pages, 1487 KB  
Article
Valorizing Food Waste into Functional Bio-Composite Façade Cladding: A Circular Approach to Sustainable Construction Materials
by Olga Ioannou and Fieke Konijnenberg
Clean Technol. 2026, 8(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol8010011 - 9 Jan 2026
Viewed by 2291
Abstract
Façades account for approximately 15–20% of a building’s embodied carbon, making them a key target for material decarbonization. While bio-composites are increasingly explored for façade insulation, cladding systems remain dominated by carbon-intensive materials such as aluminum and fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs). This paper presents [...] Read more.
Façades account for approximately 15–20% of a building’s embodied carbon, making them a key target for material decarbonization. While bio-composites are increasingly explored for façade insulation, cladding systems remain dominated by carbon-intensive materials such as aluminum and fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs). This paper presents findings from a study investigating the use of food-waste-derived bulk fillers in bio-composite materials for façade cladding applications. Several food-waste streams, including hazelnut and pistachio shells, date seeds, avocado and mango pits, tea leaves, and brewing waste, were processed into fine powders (<0.125 μm) and combined with a furan-based biobased thermoset resin to produce flat composite sheets. The samples were evaluated through mechanical testing (flexural strength, stiffness, and impact resistance), water absorption, freeze–thaw durability, and optical microscopy to assess microstructural characteristics before and after testing. The results reveal substantial performance differences between waste streams. In particular, hazelnut and pistachio shell fillers produced bio-composites suitable for façade cladding, achieving flexural strengths of 62.6 MPa and 53.6 MPa and impact strengths of 3.42 kJ/m2 and 1.39 kJ/m2, respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of food-waste-based bio-composites as low-carbon façade cladding materials and highlight future opportunities for optimization of processing, supply chains, and material design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Circular Materials Conference 2025)
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