23-05-2025
NOVA FCT, through faculty members and researchers from the Department of Chemistry, members of the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV-REQUIMTE), took part in the NextLap Summit '25, an initiative promoted by the consultancy Beta-i in partnership with Valorpneu – the management entity for the used tire sector.
During the summit, the NOVA FCT team presented advancements made since being awarded the INOV.AÇÃO – Valorpneu Prize in 2018, focusing on research into the valorization of rubber from end-of-life tires. Highlights included the conversion of this rubber into chars and activated carbons, and their application in innovative processes such as rare earth recovery and green hydrogen production through photocatalysis.
Attendees also had the opportunity to see a prototype of a rare earth adsorption column, the award-winning poster from the 16th National Physical Chemistry Meeting & 5th Computational Chemistry Symposium held in 2024, and a summary presentation of the doctoral research by Dr. Miguel Nogueira, a former doctoral candidate of NOVA FCT’s Sustainable Chemistry Doctoral Program.
The event took place on May 21st at the Vandelli Botanical Garden, bringing together researchers, companies, and public entities to discuss circular economy solutions for the used tire industry.
