Este trabalho investigou a incorporação de um resíduo da indústria petroquímica de rerrefino de óleos minerais, uma argila contaminada com hidrocarbonetos, como matéria-prima para a indústria cerâmica tradicional. O resíduo foi incorporado a uma massa cerâmica com o objetivo de obter produtos de cerâmica vermelha. As matérias-primas utilizadas foram caracterizadas quanto à composição mineralógica, química e granulométrica. Neste estudo, foram realizadas formulações com 0%, 3%, 5%, 10% e 15% em massa de resíduo para a obtenção dos corpos-de-prova. Os corpos-de-prova obtidos foram sinterizados nas temperaturas de 1000°C, 1050°C, 1100°C, 1150°C. Foram avaliadas as seguintes propriedades tecnológicas: absorção de água, porosidade aparente, retração linear de queima e resistência à flexão a quatro pontos. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a incorporação de resíduo na massa cerâmica apresentou melhor desempenho nas suas propriedades tecnológicas, enquadrando-se a normas para produtos cerâmicos tradicionais, como telhas, blocos cerâmicos e pisos de revestimentos. Em consideração ao aspecto ambiental, as amostras foram submetidas aos ensaios de lixiviação, solubilização e emissões gasosas. Nos testes de lixiviação não foram encontrados elementos que a classificassem como resíduo perigoso de acordo com a NBR 10.004. Nos ensaios de solubilização, todas as composições com adição de resíduo na temperatura de 1000°C foram classificadas como resíduo classe II A – não inertes, enquanto a 1150°C foram classificadas como resíduo classe IIB- inertes. Em relação às emissões gasosas, estas apresentaram baixas concentrações dos elementos zinco, sódio, cálcio e silício na água coletada durante a queima. Os resultados indicaram a possibilidade de utilização deste resíduo na produção de cerâmica vermelha. / This work investigated the incorporation of a waste of the petrochemical industry of mineral oils rerefining, a clay contaminated with hydrocarbons, as raw material to traditional ceramic industry. The waste was incorporated into the ceramic mass to obtain red ceramics products. The raw material was characterized by the mineralogical, chemical and granulometric composition. In this study were incorporated 0, 3, 5, 10 and 15 % waste weight to formulate the samples. The samples were sintered at temperatures 1000°C, 1050°C, 1100°C and 1150°C. The technological properties evaluated were: water absorption, apparent porosity, linear shrinkage and flexural rupture strength by the four point test. The results obtained showed that the waste added to the ceramic mass contributed to improve the quality of the ceramic samples. In the environmental aspects, the samples were submitted to leaching and solubilization tests and gaseous emissions. In the leaching test samples did not present elements classified as dangerous, according to NBR 10004. In the solubilization test, all compositions with waste, sintered at 1000°C, were classified as class IIA -not inert and at 1150°C class IIB - inert. The gaseous emissions demonstrated low concentration of the elements: zinc, sodium, calcium, and silicium in the water collected during the sinterization process. The results indicated the possibility of using this waste in the red ceramic production.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Segundo pesquisa do IMPARH (2006), estima-se que existam entre 6 (seis) e 8 (oito) mil catadores de materiais reciclÃveis nas ruas de Fortaleza. Sujeitos que inscrevem sua existÃncia nas migalhas da margem, vivendo e confundindo-se com rejeitos, expurgos da sociedade do consumo, marcados pelo estigma da superfluidade. Uma verdadeira legiÃo de trabalhadores que garimpam formas de sobrevivÃncia por entre resÃduos e que, a cada dia, redescobrem a cidade, estabelecem relaÃÃes as mais diversas com o meio urbano e vÃrios outros atores sociais com os quais interagem, numa busca contÃnua em rebentar as cadeias mÃrbidas da invisibilidade pÃblica. Num contexto de crise, desemprego estrutural de longa duraÃÃo e reconcentraÃÃo de capital, essas atividades laborais, extremamente degradantes, alastram-se e ganham maior visibilidade em funÃÃo do agravamento da âquestÃo socialâ, pois, embora representem atividades indispensÃveis para a sobrevivÃncia daqueles que as desempenham, por outro lado, cumprem papel significativo no processo de produÃÃo de sobretrabalho, valorizaÃÃo e acumulaÃÃo do capital, mergulhando esses trabalhadores numa situaÃÃo crescente de degradaÃÃo, espoliaÃÃo e misÃria. Desse modo, considero que grande parcela dos sujeitos que integram a cadeia produtiva da reciclagem dormita nos limites da precarizaÃÃo do trabalho, da informalidade e da exploraÃÃo, possuindo pouca margem e possibilidades de reaÃÃo ou ascensÃo social. Pretendo, portanto, apreender as formas de manifestaÃÃo do trabalho de homens e mulheres inseridos na cataÃÃo de resÃduos sÃlidos, e as sociabilidades produzidas no contexto da intensificaÃÃo da precarizaÃÃo do conjunto das condiÃÃes sociais de existÃncia dos trabalhadores do lixo, investigando as formas e condiÃÃes em que se desenvolvem as relaÃÃes de trabalho no interior da cadeia produtiva da reciclagem, considerando, ainda, o processo de trabalho precÃrio da cataÃÃo e as relaÃÃes constituÃdas a partir da comercializaÃÃo dos resÃduos como interfaces objetivas das transformaÃÃes capitalistas ocorridas no mundo do trabalho, nas Ãltimas dÃcadas. / According to IMPARH (2006)Âs research, it is estimated that there are between 6 (six) and 8 (eight) thousand collectors of recyclable materials on the streets of Fortaleza. Individuals who subscribe their existence in the margin crumbs, living and mingling with tailings, purging of the consumer society, marked by the stigma of superfluity. A true legion of workers who pan forms of survival through residuos which, each day, rediscover the city, establish several relations in the urban environment and among other social actors with whom they interact, in a continual quest to break the morbid chains of public invisibility. In a crisis context, long term natural unemployment and capital reconcentration, these labor activities, extremely degrading, spread and gain greater visibility due to the worsening of the "social issue" because, although they represent essential activities to the survival of those who exert them, on the other hand, they play a significant role in the process of labor surplus production, appreciation and accumulation of capital, plunging the workers in a situation of increasing degradation, dispossession and misery. Thus, I consider that a large proportion of the individuals who comprise the productive chain of recycling lay on the verge of precarious employment, informality and exploitation, having little room and opportunities for social mobility or reaction. I intend, therefore, seize the work manifestation forms of men and women working immersed in the scavenging of solid waste, and the sociabilities produced in the context of growing precariousness of all social and living conditions of workers in the trash. Investigating the ways and conditions under which they develop working relations within the productive chain of recycling, considering also the process of precarious work of grooming and relationships built through the marketing of waste as the interfaces with its capitalist transformations occurring in the world of work in recent decades.

Este trabalho apresenta uma análise da viabilidade econômica e ambiental do processo de reciclagem de Resíduos de Construção Civil em um município. Utilizou-se como base o Município de Guarulhos onde foi efetuado um levantamento das quantidades de resíduos de construção civil produzidos, seu gerenciamento e o processo de reciclagem e reutilização dos agregados reciclados produzidos. O Município de Guarulhos implantou o primeiro Ponto de Entrega Voluntária (PEV) de resíduos em 2003 e, de forma ininterrupta, vem aumentando a disponibilidade desses pontos a população, possuindo 17 pontos em 2014. Inicialmente planejados para receber apenas resíduos provenientes de construção civil, tornaram-se pontos onde a população destina inúmeros resíduos sólidos não orgânicos. A empresa de pública responsável por obras na cidade, PROGUARU, possuiu uma Usina de Reciclagem de Resíduos de Construção Civil (URE) que produz agregados reciclados para uso em manutenções e pavimentação, além de fornecer material para utilização na Fábrica de Pré-Moldados da Prefeitura, fechando um ciclo de captação, processamento e reutilização dos Resíduos de Construção Civil no município. Foram desenvolvidos dois modelos que incluem no cálculo econômico do processo de reciclagem de Resíduos de Construção Civil de um município, a economia obtida com a diminuição do descarte irregular e com a substituição de agregados naturais pelos agregados reciclados produzidos pela PROGUARU. No período de 2003 a 2014, os Pontos de Entrega Voluntária receberam 296.210,11 . 10³ kg de resíduos totais, e enviou 214.910, 57 . 10³ kg de Resíduos de Construção Civil para a URE. O lucro anual do sistema incluindo o custo dos terrenos (PEV e URE) foi de R$ 3,50 por habitante, e desprezando o valor dos terrenos foi de R$ 5,02 por habitante. O trabalho de pesquisa comprova a viabilidade econômica da reciclagem, além dos ganhos ambientais pela diminuição dos descartes irregulares e economia de recursos naturais. / This paper presents an analysis of the economic and environmental viability of Civil Construction Waste recycling process in a municipality. It was used as a basis the municipality of Guarulhos, where a survey of quantities of construction waste generated, its management and the process of recycling and reuse of recycled aggregates produced was made. The municipality of Guarulhos implemented the first Voluntary Delivery Point (PEV) of waste in 2003 and uninterruptedly, is increasing the availability of these points population, having 17 points in 2014. Initially planned to only receive waste from construction, become points where the population intended number of inorganic solid waste. The public corporation responsible for works in the city, PROGUARU, owned a Plant Construction Waste Recycling (URE) producing recycled aggregates for use in maintenance and paving, as well as providing material for use in Precast Factory, closing a funding cycle, processing and reuse of Construction Waste in the city. Were developed two models that include the economic calculation of the Civil Construction Waste recycling process of a municipality, the savings from the reduction of irregular disposal and replacement of natural aggregates by recycled aggregates produced by PROGUARU. In the period 2003-2014, the Voluntary Delivery Points received 296.210,11 . 10³ kg of total waste, and sent 214,910, 57 . 10³ kg Civil Construction Waste for URE. The annual profit of the system including the cost of land (PEV and URE) was R $ 3.50 per capita, and despising the value of land was R $ 5.02 per capita. The research confirms the economic viability of recycling, in addition to environmental benefits by decreasing the irregular disposal and saving natural resources.

Thesis is focused on the issue of waste production, collection and management in Excalibur Army, s.r.o company, at the facility in Šternberk. I have used registration and operative data acquired directly in cooperation with the service ecologist. I described the process of waste management at the facility, since its creation until its application as a secondary raw material or its transfer to the authorized personnel for its disposal either to deposition in land-fill or its combustion in the incinerator. In my conclusion, I suggest several operational, but also administrative, precautions for overall improvement of waste management in the company.

Magister Artium - MA / A widespread phenomenon on dumpsites in the developing world, subsistence waste picking is also a common practice at the city-owned Coastal Park Landfill (CPL) in Muizenberg. Poor unemployed people from the townships of Capricorn, Vrygrond and Hillview, situated at the foot of the tip ―skarrel for scrap‖ every day. The word skarreling is an Afrikaans term meaning to rummage or scrabble, scuttle or scurry. Thus, if one talks of ―skarreling for scrap‖, it generally refers to poor people trying to eke out a living by looking for recyclables in the waste that can be put to personal use or turned into money. In the two decades since the transition to democracy, South Africa and the City of Cape Town (CCT) have formulated a number of framework and subordinate policies which express their commitment to sustainable development (SD). SD aims to achieve a balance between its three components, economic, environmental and social sustainability. Thus, SD is not only about increased economic efficiency and stability, while at the same time reducing pollution and handling natural resources more thoughtfully; it is also about promoting social equity by reducing poverty and empowering the poor. This study is guided by the assumption that waste pickers in developing countries play an important part in recycling efforts, and that recycling in turn is an integral component of SD, which is the guiding principle of South African policy-making. In an ideal scenario – as implicitly promised by the policies on SD – the management of solid waste should pursue the economic and environmental goals of SD by promoting recycling and should be aligned with the goal of creating sustainable livelihoods. However, the reality in the CCT is a different one. Landfill skarreling in the CCT, and particularly at CPL, is accompanied by conflict and a criminalisation of the skarrelaars. The CCT decided to phase out landfill salvaging in 2008, and subsequently has put a lot of effort into keeping skarrelaars away from its landfills. The implications of this decision – job losses for poor people and a potential increase in crime – have not been thought through. There is thus a dysfunctional triangular relationship around waste recycling in the CCT, leading to tensions between (1) the City‘s commitment to SD; (2) 5 its approach towards recycling (as part of solid waste management) in policy and practice; and (3) the livelihoods of the poor in adjacent townships. In the CCT the goals of SD are undermined by the City‘s recycling strategies, with adverse effects for the livelihoods of the people who live off skarreling. There are several causes for this disjuncture between policy and reality. The first has to do with ignorance on the side of the policymakers. They seem to be badly informed about the extent and nature of skarreling, perhaps assuming that this activity is performed only by a few people who need quick cash for drugs. The second cause can be attributed to the neoliberal macro-policies pursued in South Africa, as well as to the global competition between cities for investment. This neoliberal urbanism leads cities like Cape Town to re-imagine themselves as ―world (-class) cities‖, in which poor waste pickers are perceived as a disturbing factor. In the CCT, this goes hand in hand with an approach reminiscent of the apartheid mindset, which saw the need to control poor, black (and potentially unruly) people. The dissertation therefore focuses on the core themes of sustainable development, (urban) neoliberalism, and informality in combination with a case study of the informal waste pickers at the chosen landfill site. Writing from a political studies angle, this study is framed as a policy critique: it argues that the policies around SWM ignore South African realities, and that the SD policies and their implementation lack coherence. Moreover, the conflict between the skarrelaars and the CCT at the CPL is rooted in inadequate national and local legislation which does not acknowledge the role of informal waste pickers in SWM and aims at excluding rather than including them. If waste pickers were supported in their recycling efforts in both policy and practice, this would be a win-win situation for the state/city (economic benefits and less crime), the skarrelaars (regular employment and incomes) and the environment (less waste buried on landfills). The case study is primarily designed as a qualitative study, but also includes quantitative elements as it attempts a first quantification of the extent and nature of skarreling at the CPL site, one of only three operating dumpsites in Cape Town. The aim on the one hand is to estimate the contribution of the skarrelaars to waste reduction (and therefore to sustainability) in the City, especially since the waste they collect is not buried on the landfill, thereby prolonging the operational life span of the landfill. The other aim is to assess the role of the skarrelaars as an economic factor in the township, in particular the question of how important the incomes generated from skarreling are for their individual livelihoods and for the community as a whole.

In jedem Haushalt fallen täglich Abfälle an. Der überwiegende Teil davon sind Lebensmittelverpackungen. Wir trinken Milch aus Verbundkartons, essen Gemüse aus der Konservendose und Joghurt aus Plastikbechern. Am Ende des Tages ist so eine beträchtliche Menge an Gegenständen entstanden, die „übrig“ sind und für uns keinerlei Wert mehr besitzen. Sie wandern, getrennt nach Materialien, in den Abfalleimer, dann in die Mülltonne und werden letztlich von einem Abfallsammelfahrzeug abgeholt und anschließend entsorgt. Wir haben eine vage Vorstellung davon, was mit den Abfällen geschieht – sie werden deponiert oder recycelt. Was aber bedeutet Recycling und welche Prozesse stecken dahinter? Zentraler Untersuchungsgegenstand dieser Arbeit ist das Recycling von Abfällen aus Haushalten in Deutschland und Portugal. Dabei liegt ein Schwerpunkt der Arbeit auf der Darstellung der theoretischen Grundlagen des Fachgebietes. Den zweiten Schwerpunkt bildet die Untersuchung der Sprache und Terminologie dieses Fachgebietes im Deutschen und im europäischen Portugiesisch (An dieser Stelle soll betont werden, dass sich sämtliche Darstellungen und Untersuchungen ausschließlich auf Deutschland und das Deutsche sowie Portugal und das europäische Portugiesisch beziehen. Die Situation zur Abfallwirtschaft und zum Recycling und die sprachliche Realisierung dieses Fachgebietes in Brasilien oder anderen portugiesischsprachigen Ländern ist nicht Gegenstand dieser Arbeit. Spricht die Verfasserin von Portugiesisch, ist damit immer das europäische Portugiesisch gemeint) Außerdem ist der Arbeit ein zweisprachiges Glossar mit der deutschen und portugiesischen Terminologie des untersuchten Fachgebietes angefügt, welches sowohl in gedruckter Form vorliegt als auch digital zur Verfügung steht. Das Glossar entstand mit Hilfe des Terminologieverwaltungssystems SDL MultiTerm 2007 von TRADOS, in welchem der Terminologiebestand abgelegt wurde. Für das Portugiesische (egal ob europäisches, brasilianisches oder afrikanisches Portugiesisch) ist die Wörterbuchsituation im zweisprachigen Bereich unbefriedigend. Es gibt einige zweisprachige Allgemeinwörterbücher, jedoch kaum Fachwörterbücher. Auch im hier untersuchten Fachgebiet Abfallwirtschaft/Recycling herrscht eine Lücke. Eine Ausnahme bildet das Wörterbuch der industriellen Technik, das von Richard Ernst herausgegeben wird. Dieses umfasst u. a. Termini der Verfahrenstechnik und berührt so einen Teilbereich der Abfallwirtschaft. Mit dieser Arbeit soll eine Lücke in der zweisprachigen Fachterminologie Deutsch- Portugiesisch geschlossen werden. Sie richtet sich v. a. an Übersetzer und Dolmetscher mit den Arbeitssprachen Deutsch und Portugiesisch und soll ihnen helfen, sich einen Überblick zum Fachgebiet Abfallwirtschaft/Recycling in Deutschland und Portugal zu verschaffen und sich mit der Terminologie dieses Fachgebietes im Deutschen und Portugiesischen vertraut zu machen. Nach den einleitenden Bemerkungen zu Zielsetzung und Aufbau der Arbeit sowie zum verwendeten Quellenmaterial erfolgt im zweiten Kapitel die Einführung in das Fachgebiet Recycling. Zu Beginn werden zentrale Begriffe des untersuchten Fachgebietes definiert, um grundlegende Verstehensvoraussetzungen beim Leser zu schaffen. Anschließend wird das Recycling in einen weiteren Kontext eingeordnet, um seine Stellung innerhalb der Abfallwirtschaft zu verdeutlichen. Weiterhin werden die europäischen, deutschen und portugiesischen Gesetze vorgestellt, welche das Recycling von Abfällen aus Haushalten betreffen. Es soll untersucht werden, ob die gesetzlichen Grundlagen in beiden Ländern und auf EU-Ebene vergleichbar sind. Danach folgt eine Analyse der Abfallmengenentwicklung und Abfallzusammensetzung in Deutschland und Portugal der vergangenen Jahre und ein Vergleich der Situation beider Länder. In diesem Zusammenhang sollen ebenso die Auswirkungen des Recyclings auf das Abfallaufkommen betrachtet werden. Es schließen sich Ausführungen zu den Sammelsystemen in Deutschland und Portugal an. Das nächste Unterkapitel widmet sich den einzelnen Abfallaufbereitungstechniken. Dabei wird jeweils eine Auswahl von häufig zum Einsatz kommenden Maschinen und Verfahren vorgestellt. Zahlreiche Abbildungen veranschaulichen die Funktionsweisen der Maschinen und Verfahren. Schließlich wird im letzten Teil des zweiten Kapitels ausführlich auf die Recyclingprozesse der einzelnen Abfallfraktionen Papier, Pappe und Karton, Glas, Leichtverpackungen und organische Abfälle eingegangen. Das dritte Kapitel beschäftigt sich mit der Terminologie des Fachgebietes Abfallwirtschaft/ Recycling im Deutschen und Portugiesischen. Zu Beginn des Kapitels wird ein kurzer Überblick über die internationalen, deutschen und portugiesischen Institutionen gegeben, die für die Erarbeitung von terminologischen Grundsätzen und Terminologien verantwortlich sind. Im Anschluss werden wichtige Begriffe der Terminologiearbeit und die dazugehörenden Termini bestimmt. Daraufhin wird auf den Terminus als zentralem Gegenstand von Fachsprache und Terminologiearbeit und die ihm zugeschriebenen Eigenschaften eingegangen. Es wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob diese Eigenschaften tatsächlich zutreffen. Nach diesen grundlegenden Betrachtungen beschäftigen sich die nächsten Unterkapitel mit der sprachlichen Analyse des Quellenmaterials und des darin enthaltenden Terminologiebestandes, wobei die einzelnen Aspekte mit Beispielen aus dem Quellenmaterial veranschaulicht werden. Zunächst werden Synonyme und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Verständlichkeit eines Fachtextes thematisiert. Danach werden Probleme hinsichtlich der Äquivalenz von Termini im Deutschen und Portugiesischen erläutert. Als nächstes erfolgt die Untersuchung der verschiedenen Quellen, die zur Erweiterung des Wortschatzes beitragen. Analysiert werden die Übernahme von Termini aus anderen Fachgebieten, die Bedeutungsveränderung von Termini, die Entlehnung aus anderen Sprachen sowie die Verfahren der Wortbildung. Die Verfahren der Wortbildung bilden einen Schwerpunkt des Kapitels und werden für beide Sprachen separat untersucht, um anschließend zu vergleichen, welche Verfahren sich als besonders produktiv in einer oder in beiden Sprachen erwiesen haben. Als Abschluss folgt ein Unterkapitel mit einer Auswahl an Termini, welche nur in einer Sprache aus dem Quellenmaterial ermittelt werden konnten und für die daher für die jeweils andere Sprache ein begründeter Vorschlag für eine mögliche Benennung gemacht wird. Im vierten Kapitel schließlich werden die Betrachtungen und Analyseergebnisse aus Kapitel 2 und 3 noch einmal zusammengefasst.

The concept of sustainable development implies that social, economic and environmental objectives should be delivered together, and that they can be achieved through enhanced community participation. The concept of social capital indicates how these objectives interrelate, implying that community involvement enhances trust and reciprocity, thus promoting better governance and greater prosperity. This paper draws on a survey of Community Waste Projects to explore how these concepts can inform investigations of community projects. It argues that the concepts provide useful guides to research and debate, but highlights the resource requirements of empirically confirming the claims of the social capital perspective.

Rapidly growing quantities of e-waste (WEEE) demand the increasing attention of environmental policy all over the world. Developing countries are particularly affected by recycling and disposal activities, which are deemed harmful to health and environment. Holistic or integrated approaches to WEEE policy are required. The paper discusses first recycling technologies for glass from cathode ray tubes (CRT) and printed circuit boards (PCBs) in Vietnam. Thereafter the German approach to WEEE policy is adjusted to allow for an integrated policy. This is then adapted to allow for the recycling of used monitors and computers. / Sự gia tăng một cách nhanh chóng số lượng các chất thải từ các thiết bị điện, điện tử (WEEE) đòi hỏi sự tăng cường chú ý tới các chính sách môi trường toàn cầu. Các nước đang phát triển bị tác động đặc biệt bởi các hoạt động tái chế, do nó ảnh hưởng xấu tới sức khỏe và môi trường. Các phương pháp tổ hợp và toàn diện đối với các chính sách quản lý chất thải điện tử (WEEE) là đòi hỏi cấp thiết. Trong bài báo này, trước hết phân tích đánh giá các công nghệ tái chế thủy tinh đèn hình (thủy tinh CRT) và bản mạch in điện tử (PCBs) ở Việt Nam. Tiếp theo là phương pháp tiếp cận các chính sách quản lý chất thải điện tử của Cộng hòa liên bang Đức được sử dụng để điều chỉnh cho thích hợp nhằm đưa ra giải pháp tổ hợp có thể thích ứng cho việc tái chế màn hình Tivi và máy tính hỏng, hết hạn sử dụng và thải bỏ ở Việt Nam.

published_or_final_version / Botany / Master / Master of Philosophy

This thesis is concerned with developing porous materials from tyre shred residue and polyurethane binder for acoustic absorption and thermal insulation applications. The resultant materials contains a high proportion of open, interconnected cells that are able to absorb incident sound waves through viscous friction, inertia effects and thermal energy exchanges. The materials developed are also able to insulate against heat by suppressing the convection of heat and reduced conductivity of the fluid locked in the large proportion of close-cell pores. The acoustic absorption performance of a porous media is controlled by the number of open cells and pore size distribution. Therefore, this work also investigates the use of catalysts and surfactants to modify the pore structure and studies the influence of the various components in the chemical formulations used to produce these porous materials. An optimum type and amounts of catalyst are selected to obtain a high chemical conversion and a short expanding time for the bubble growth phase. The surfactant is used to reduce the surface tension and achieve a homogenous mixing between the solid particulates tyre shred residue, the water, the catalyst and the binder. It is found that all of the components significantly affect the resultant materials structure and its morphology. The results show that the catalyst has a particularly strong effect on the pore structure and the ensuing thermal and acoustical properties. In this research, the properties of the porous materials developed are characterized using standard experimental techniques and the acoustic and thermal insulation performance underpinned using theoretical models. The important observation from this research is that a new class of recycled materials with pore stratification has been developed. It is shown that the pore stratification can have a positive effect on the acoustic absorption in a broadband frequency range. The control of reaction time in the foaming process is a key function that leads to a gradual change in the pore size distribution, porosity, flow resistivity and tortuosity which vary as a function of sample depth. It is shown that the Pade approximation is a suitable model to study the acoustic behaviour of these materials. A good agreement between the measured data and the model was attained.