Chemical Day 2026, Piunti (Conou): "Chemistry at the Foundation of the Circular Economy"
"If we are to use waste instead of virgin materials, we need to know what's inside. Waste, by its nature, can contain pollutants. For this reason, chemistry is the basis of verification: not only chemistry to create new molecules, but to identify the pollutants present in waste." With these words, Riccardo Piunti, president of CONOU – National Consortium of Used Mineral Oils, recalled the decisive role of chemical expertise in the circular transition, speaking at Chemical Day 2026, an event held at the Polytechnic University of Milan. Milano and organized by Icp – Rivista dell'Industria Chimica, with the patronage of Aidic, of which Icp is the Official Organ, and which represented a day of study and networking dedicated to operators in the chemical industry, process engineering companies, the academic world and specialized suppliers.
Piunti, in his speech titled "Chemistry and the Circular Economy: The Conou Model," emphasized that one of the reasons for the Consortium's excellence is its ability to establish and monitor quality standards for both used oil and regenerated base oils. "We perform nearly 100 analyses a year," he explained, emphasizing that the circular economy will increasingly require detailed knowledge of waste and the substances it contains. "In the case of used mineral oils, this means overseeing a complex supply chain, starting with widespread collection from the owners and moving through segregation, selection, and quality control. Mineral oils, derived from petroleum processing, are used in industrial processes, engines, machinery, and numerous other areas. They are still widely used because, in many applications, they have no equivalent alternatives. To regenerate, transform, and give them a new lease of life, all of this must be done well first," Piunti observed.
Chemistry then enters the heart of the regeneration process. "The final treatment phase of the lubricant component, for example," Piunti explains, "requires high-pressure hydrogenation, through which hydrogen helps remove unwanted elements and restore the characteristics of the lubricant base. The final analyses are also chemical and serve to verify the suitability of the regenerated base. Our regenerated bases are perfectly equivalent to virgin ones."
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