A factory of sustainable ideas, Diab decided to rescue scrap waste from its Divinycell foam-filled PVC materials used in aerospace, marine and subsea products, transport and wind energy. What’s left on the factory floor can still be used for other purposes as Recoboard.
“Recoboard is made from chips by shredding Divinycell scrap, mixing it with a glue (MDI), then putting into a mould to make blocks with pressure and heat. From this block we use a slitter to cut sheets,” says Per Hokfelt, Vice President of Sustainability at Diab International.
The uses of Recoboard? Core material in sandwich panels, replacing polyurethane foam core for lower mechanical applications like food trolleys to keep the food hot, or for industry like trolleys moving tools and other materials.
It also has good acoustic dampening properties. “There’s a patent for the three layers of Recoboard, and you get really amazing sound absorption. The focus is on industrial applications for noisy environments,” Per says.
Diab is also working on a take-back scheme, to make more Recoboard from Recoboard, “so you make the material flow circular,” Per says. “We’re talking with the wind blades industry.”
Other sustainable ideas Diab help brought to fruition: tidal turbines and electric ferries. Check them out on their website.