Clara Bilbao

At GAIKER, we are developing advanced solvolysis solutions for the chemical recycling of plastics, bioplastics and composites, aimed at recovering waste and reclaiming high-value raw materials.

We are working on developing innovative chemical recycling processes using a range of different approaches, such as plastic-to-plastic, plastic-to-chemicals and plastic-to-oil & gas, thereby contributing to the transition towards more efficient, sustainable circular economy models.

We also have specialised equipment and pilot plants that allow us to scale up and validate processes under conditions similar to those found in an industrial setting, thereby facilitating the transfer of technology to industry.

Technological services

• Chemical recycling of PET, PU, PA, PLA, PHA, PBS, CFRP and GFRP using solvolysis processes.
  Glycolysis, hydrolysis, methanolysis and acidolysis.
• Characterisation and conditioning of materials to be treated by solvolysis process.
  Determination of composition and key parameters such as moisture content, density, particle size and composition. Removal of impurities, reduction in size and optimisation of the material for chemical treatment.
• Obtaining monomers and fibres through solvolysis tests and purification operations.
• Analysis and validation of monomers and fibres recovered using the solvolysis process. Pilot-scale assessment.
• Scale-up to a pilot plant for selected processes.
• Conceptual and basic engineering of plants for depolymerising waste using solvolysis.
• Design of depolymerisation plants using catalytic solvolysis and purification of the reaction mixture.
• Assessment of the economic, technical and environmental feasibility of solvolysis processes.
• Comprehensive analysis with the aim of implementing the processes developed in industry in the future.

Equipment:

• 0.5 – 1 – 2 l glass reactors
• 10 l stainless steel reactor
• High pressure Parr reactor (250 bar and 450°C)
• High temperature Parr reactor (up to 800°C)
• High pressure autoclave reactor
• Pilot plants with 140-300 l reactors for industrial scale-up

At GAIKER, we are helping to transform waste into new opportunities for value, by promoting sustainable technological solutions for industry.

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about how we can help you with your chemical recycling and waste recovery processes

GAIKER specialises in the assessment of the safety and efficacy of molecules, compounds or final products using different models. Our in vitro and ex vivo tests on human skin models provide quality solutions for the dermo-cosmetic, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors. We have the capacity to perform customised studies on the mechanisms of action of active ingredients, as well as studies based on conventional protocols and GLP requirements in accordance with international guidelines, such as the FDA or the EMA.

Our work includes tube tests, cell cultures (keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, immune system cells…), 3D models and ex vivo human skin explants. Moreover, we have well-equipped laboratories for cell culture, molecular biology, proteomics-genomics (including Microbiome analysis) with state-of-the-art equipment, such as: scanning electron microscope (SEM), confocal microscope, our cell bank, biofilm reactor, flow cytometer, Franz cells, UPLC…

Techniques have been developed to generate a series of skin models with different aetiologies, such as sensitive skin, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, reddish skin etc., presenting the same determining characteristics of skin with a specific pathology. We also have the capacity to develop organotypic cultures with specific pathologies that enable us to simulate skin models that reproduce the characteristics of ulcerated or burnt skin.

GAIKER, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), will attend EQUIPLAST, the leading event for the plastics and rubber industry, between June 2 and 5.

The fair will be held at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via exhibition centre, and bring together more than 400 exhibitors and the sector’s most innovative and leading companies. This event will bring together companies from key sectors such as packaging, the automotive industry and construction, with the aim of showcasing innovative, sustainable solutions that will drive the circular economy and the transition towards a greener future.

At this year’s event, GAIKER will once again share a stand with CEP, where it will showcase a range of technological samples and demonstrators developed as part of projects related to its areas of expertise: compounding and recovery, functional polymers, plastic electronics, bio-based polymers, packaging materials and sustainable composites.

Come and visit our stand (Calle A, Stand 41) to learn more about our technological developments and areas of research for yourself!

GAIKER, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), will take part at IFAT, the leading international trade fair for the environmental sector, which is being held in Munich this year between May 4 and 7.

The technology centre will share a stand with Aclima-Basque Environment Cluster, bringing together 20 partners with the aim of strengthening the environmental ecosystem of the Basque Country. This space will become a hub to showcase the solutions and capabilities of the companies involved, host events and presentations, and provide opportunities for professional meetings and networking with potential customers, partners and key actors in the sector.

At this edition, GAIKER will present its technological offer in the field of recycling and the circular economy, showing its commitment to innovative, sustainable solutions.

IFAT is the largest international platform dedicated to environmental technologies, particularly in the fields of water, recycling and the circular economy. As well as showcasing solutions, the event acts as a knowledge-sharing and networking hub for leading representatives from the sector from around the world.

Come and visit us at stand B4.332 and find out about the latest innovations in recycling and the circular economy!

The aim of the VALON project is to recover plastic waste that is rich in brominated flame retardants, which comes from processing and recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment, in order to obtain high-value secondary raw materials.

The GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is taking part in the VALON project, the main aim of which is to add value to plastic waste that is rich in brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which comes from the industrial processing and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This initiative focuses on concentrating and recovering the antimony (Sb) present in this waste and transforming it into a secondary raw material.

The European Union has included antimony on its list of critical raw materials, due to its strategic importance for various industrial sectors. European legislation aims to increase the annual supply of these materials by promoting the recycling of the waste that contains them, amongst other measures. To this end, VALON proposes investigating technological solutions aimed at recovering antimony from the plastics waste in WEEE that is rich in brominated flame retardants for use in industry.

The project, which will come to an end in December, will focus on studying and evaluating various recovery methods based on a combination of optical identification and automatic sorting technologies, together with separation methods based on physical properties, with the aim of obtaining plastic fractions with a high antimony content. Beneficiation, hydrometallurgical extraction and antimony recovery techniques will be applied to antimony-enriched fractions.

As part of the VALON project, GAIKER’s work focuses on conducting laboratory research:

1. The efficiency of LIBS spectroscopy combined with multivariate data analysis models to automatically classify the stream of brominated plastic waste from WEEE and obtain a new, antimony-enriched fraction.
2. The efficiency of separation processes (sink-float and froth flotation) based on the physical properties of plastics, with the aim of obtaining new fractions enriched in antimony and segregated by polymer type.
3. Thermal conditioning processes (pyrolysis) and hydrometallurgical extraction of antimony applied to antimony-concentrated plastic fractions.

The VALON project is coordinated by the Inatec Foundation and funded by the Basque Government (Record No.: KK-2025/00057) through the ELKARTEK 2025 aid programme for collaborative research in strategic areas.

Subsidised by the Basque Government