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Research into the foaming kinetics of cellular materials based on complex polymers to obtain products with customized properties

This project is part of the CIDAUT Foundation's line of research into the circular economy of polymeric materials. This line of research is motivated by the need to minimise the environmental impact caused by plastic waste, which ends up mainly in landfills and incinerated, and to a lesser extent recycled. For this reason, both at an industrial and academic level, work is being done on the circularity of all types of plastic waste. In particular, complex plastic waste, which is made up of several types of polymers in the same structure, is more difficult to recycle and therefore to revalue into high added value products. This is mainly due to two reasons: on the one hand, existing recycling technologies do not allow for efficient separation of complex materials, and on the other hand, the mixture of mechanically recycled plastics is of low quality, so its technical potential remains unexplored.

The project aims to revalue mechanically recycled complex plastic waste (a mixture of polymers, mostly polyolefins) into materials with superior properties such as polymeric cellular materials or polymeric foams used in multiple applications such as thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, impact absorption, comfort, etc. This work will focus on obtaining cellular materials with different contents of recycled complex plastic by compression molding, a common process for obtaining thermoplastic foams on an industrial scale. In this process of obtaining polymeric foams, two simultaneous reactions take place: the foaming reaction, in which a chemical foaming agent is used that decomposes at high temperatures generating gases that allow the expansion of the polymeric matrix, and the crosslinking reaction, in which a crosslinking agent is used that thermally decomposes by crosslinking the polymeric chains, which increases the extensional viscosity of the polymer in the molten state so that it is capable of withstanding the gas pressures during the expansion phase. The balance of these two reactions is a critical aspect to obtain materials with optimal properties, since the modification of these reactions influences the morphology of the polymeric matrix and the cellular structure of the foam, which will determine the final properties of the foamed material.

The project is part of the program: Aid for Torres Quevedo contracts 2021

Project logos
Areas of knowledge
Circular economy
Technological capabilities
Process designMaterials
Project Type
National
Sectors
AeronauticsAgri-foodAutomotiveConstructionRailway
Years
2021

Supplier policy

Guidelines for the evaluation, selection, performance monitoring and re-evaluation of external suppliers of the CIDAUT Foundation

1. Object

This document is established to inform CIDAUT Foundation suppliers of the general guidelines followed for the evaluation, selection, performance monitoring and re-evaluation of external suppliers.

2 Area of ​​application

In accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, this document applies to external suppliers of the CIDAUT Foundation that supply products and services that may adversely affect the ability to deliver the results of the projects, technological services and tests that develops the CIDAUT Foundation. Below is a non-exhaustive list of processes, products and services to which these guidelines would apply:

Services and/or processes of:

  • tests, proficiency tests, calibrations or sampling
  • design
  • manufacturing of parts, molds, tools, electrical and/or electronic components, elements or assemblies necessary for the manufacture of prototypes, machines or any element that will be delivered to the client or on which tests or tests will be carried out that will constitute the results to deliver to the customer
  • analysis, evaluation, audit or technical advice whose conclusions and/or results will be integrated into the results to be delivered to the client
  • development of specific facilities for the development of projects, technological services or trials
  • key support services that can affect the outcome of projects, technological services or tests: maintenance of facilities and equipment, software administration and maintenance, etc.

Products

  • standards and auxiliary equipment for calibration/verification of measurement and monitoring equipment
  • reference elements and materials
  • measurement and monitoring equipment
  • raw materials that must meet specific requirements of the Project, Technological Service or Test
  • materials, reagents, additives, etc. necessary for the development of a new material that will be the result of the technological project or service or on which the tests or tests that will constitute the outputs/results of the technological project or service will be carried out.
  • consumables that must meet specific requirements for the correct operation of key equipment / installation for the development of the project, technological service or test
  • key equipment and facilities for the development of the project, technological service or test
  • software that can determine the results of the project, technological service or test (CAD/CAE/CAM)

3. Development
3.1. Evaluation and selection of suppliers
The Foundation Purchasing Manager establishes the criteria based on which the evaluation and selection is carried out in order to guarantee that the selected supplier supplies the products and services in accordance with the necessary requirements. The selection criteria are a combination of the following depending on the type of product/service:

  • Ability to meet legal requirements and customer requirements
  • Adaptation to the specific need: For complex products/services, the proposal of the supplier that best meets the need
  • Technical Capacity: The supplier has the appropriate material and human resources
  • ENAC accreditations: The supplier is accredited by ENAC for the development of calibrations, tests, etc.
  • Certifications: The supplier has a current ISO 9001 certification and within its scope are the products and/or services that are the object of the need.
  • Provider recommended or established by the Client
  • Previous experience: Provider in other departments or projects
  • Market recognition
  • References from clients, competitors, etc.
  • Risk and guarantees: Level of risk assumed by the supplier and/or guarantees offered
  • Financial Capacity: For large purchases
  • Supply Capacity
  • Flexibility towards changes
  • Accessibility
  • Ability to meet deadlines
  • Price
  • Payment method
In addition to the established criteria, whenever possible, for purchases exceeding the amount of 3.000? The selection of the supplier will be carried out by requesting offers from at least 3 suppliers.

3.2. Monitoring performance and reevaluation of suppliers.
To ensure that controlled external suppliers continue to supply in accordance with established requirements, suppliers are subject to periodic monitoring and control. Depending on the type of provider, it is established:

Supplier type Tracking Re-evaluation
Regular: regular suppliers X X
About project: specific suppliers for a given project X Does not apply
Occasional: single purchase suppliers Does not apply Does not apply

Tracking
Monitoring of external suppliers is carried out continuously:

  • Checking the maintenance of the ISO 9001 certification or ENAC accreditation that served as the basis for the approval. In case of loss, approval could be withdrawn.
  • Checking compliance with commercial agreements
  • Review of the quality of purchases made.
    • Anomalies attributable to the supplier are tracked. When an incident gives rise to a customer claim or significantly affects the outputs or results of the project, technological service or test, a Non-conformity is opened. When the supplier's response is not adequate or when the severity of the anomaly causes the CIDAUT Foundation to lose confidence in the supplier, the approval is withdrawn.
Continuous monitoring also takes into account response times and price developments. When necessary, the Purchasing Manager may define other monitoring activities. Some possible follow-ups are:
  • Audits
  • Service quality reviews
  • Visits to the supplier
  • Product inspections
  • Monitoring of indicators
  • Meetings with service users

Re-evaluation
Regular suppliers are periodically re-evaluated. For this, it is reviewed:

  • the criteria by which they were initially approved
  • the maintenance of ISO 9001 certification or ENAC accreditation if they were determining elements in the approval of the supplier
  • compliance with trade agreements
  • the history of incidents and follow-ups carried out
  • the level of service of the provider taking into account in particular unanswered requests, response times and accessibility
  • price variations and its comparison with other competitors

Guarantee of impartiality

Impartiality and independence are basic principles of the CIDAUT Foundation's activity. CIDAUT Foundation acts impartially and independently of all types of pressures, whether commercial or otherwise, in its activities and services provided to clients, institutions and organizations.

CIDAUT Foundation continuously evaluates each possible conflict/risk that may affect the independence and impartiality of its activities, carrying out the pertinent consultations and inquiries to ensure that it does not incur any incompatibility and loss of independence in the aforementioned terms. Limiting activity and/or implementing relevant actions in case of doubt or conflict.

Personal Data Protection Policy

The personal data to be protected includes all those that are processed by us (whether data of clients, potential clients, suppliers, workers, contacts, external collaborators, etc.).


Therefore, both FUNDACION CIDAUT, and all its staff, whether internal or external, who are involved in some way in the processing of personal data, must:

  • Maintain secrecy and confidentiality of the information processed.
  • Protect the personal data you are processing and safeguard it so that unauthorized personnel do not have access to it.
  • Comply with data protection principles (legality, loyalty and transparency, limitation of purpose, data minimization, accuracy, limitation of retention period, integrity and confidentiality and proactive responsibility).
  • Guarantee that interested parties can exercise their rights (information, access, rectification, deletion, limitation of processing, data portability, opposition and automated individual decisions).
  • Comply with, and where appropriate, enforce, the controls and security measures that FUNDACION CIDAUT has implemented to protect the security of personal data, preventing the confidentiality, integrity or availability of said data from being compromised.
  • Immediately communicate, according to the procedures enabled for this purpose, any incidents that may affect the security of personal data and that may compromise its confidentiality, integrity or availability, as well as non-compliance with the requirements established by the personal data protection regulations.
  • Comply with all legal requirements and obligations imposed by personal data protection regulations.

Information Security Policy

CIDAUT FOUNDATION (hereinafter, CIDAUT) is an entity dedicated to research and development in Transportation and Energy, with the objective of enhancing competitiveness and industrial development in companies in the transportation, energy and industry sectors in general. .

Aware of the importance that information security has for the development of its business, it has decided to implement a management system and subscribes to this policy.

CIDAUT establishes, defines and reviews objectives within its Information Security Management System (ISMS) aimed at improving its security, understanding it as the preservation of the confidentiality, availability and integrity of its information, as well as the systems that support it. support, increasing the confidence of our customers and other interested parties; along with compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory and contractual requirements.

The design, implementation and maintenance of the ISMS will be supported by the results of a continuous risk analysis and management process from which the actions to be carried out in terms of security within the scope of its system are derived, which is:

"Information systems that support the processes linked to the implementation of research, development and technological innovation projects, technological services and tests in the areas of: product design, energy and environment, materials, transformation processes, safety in vehicles, road safety, mobility, acoustics and vibrations and information technologies and industry 4.0 that are of interest to the industry in general and especially to the transport and energy sectors."

The CIDAUT Management will establish the risk evaluation criteria so that all scenarios that imply an unacceptable level of risk are treated appropriately.

As part of the ISMS, Management will develop, implement and keep updated a Business Continuity Plan according to the needs of the company and dimensioned to the risks that affect it.

The CIDAUT Management is committed to the implementation, maintenance and improvement of the ISMS, providing it with those means and resources that are necessary and urging all staff to assume this commitment. To this end, CIDAUT will implement the measures required for the training and awareness of personnel with information security. In turn, when workers fail to comply with safety policies, Management reserves the right to apply disciplinary measures in accordance with the application agreement and within the applicable legal framework, and according to the impact this has on the organization.

Everything defined in this policy will be specified and developed in regulations and procedures of the ISMS, which will be integrated to the extent possible with other management systems of the organization, sharing those resources in favor of optimization and seeking continuous improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of process management.

Every user will have the obligation to report security incidents using the guidelines established by CIDAUT.

This policy will apply to all personnel and resources that are within the scope of the ISMS, it is brought to their attention and is communicated to all interested parties.

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