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A facile alternative strategy of upcycling mixed plastic waste into vitrimers.

ABSTRACT: Chemical depolymerization has been identified as a promising approach towards recycling of plastic waste. However, complete depolymerization may be energy intensive with complications in purification. In this work, we have demonstrated upcycling of mixed plastic waste comprising a mixture of polyester, polyamide, and polyurethane through a reprocessable vitrimer of the depolymerized oligomers. Using poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as a model polymer, we first demonstrated partial controlled depolymerization, using glycerol as a cleaving agent, to obtain branched PET oligomers. Recovered PET (RPET) oligomer was then used as a feedstock to produce a crosslinked yet reprocessable vitrimer (vRPET) despite having a wide molecular weight distribution using a solventless melt processing approach. Crosslinking and dynamic interactions were observed through rheology and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Tensile mechanical studies showed no noticeable decrease in mechanical strength over multiple repeated melt processing cycles. Consequently, we have clearly demonstrated the applicability of the above method to upcycle mixed plastic wastes into vitrimers and reprocessable composites. This work also afforded insights into a potentially viable alternative route for utilization of depolymerized plastic/mixed plastic waste into crosslinked vitrimer resins manifesting excellent mechanical strength, while remaining reprocessable/ recyclable for cyclical lifetime use.

SUBMITTER: Ng KWJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10374618 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A facile alternative strategy of upcycling mixed plastic waste into vitrimers.

Ng Kok Wei Joseph KWJ Lim Jacob Song Kiat JSK Gupta Nupur N Dong Bing Xue BX Hu Chun-Po CP Hu Jingdan J Hu Xiao Matthew XM

Communications chemistry 20230727 1

Chemical depolymerization has been identified as a promising approach towards recycling of plastic waste. However, complete depolymerization may be energy intensive with complications in purification. In this work, we have demonstrated upcycling of mixed plastic waste comprising a mixture of polyester, polyamide, and polyurethane through a reprocessable vitrimer of the depolymerized oligomers. Using poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as a model polymer, we first demonstrated partial controlled d ...[more]

PMID: 37500812

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Project description:Current production of virgin plastics stands at approximately 0.4 billion tonnes annually, with significant applications in packaging, construction, and the automotive industry. Despite the utility of plastics, their waste management remains a challenge. This study focuses on upcycling plastic waste (PW) through mechanical recycling, which adds value to discarded plastics and aligns with sustainable practices. We have investigated the mechanical and thermal properties of ternary and quaternary blends of the most common polyolefin polymers, low-density polyethylene and polypropylene (PP), simulating typical PW mixtures. The blends were prepared using twin screw extrusion for melting, mixing, and strand extrusion. The strands from the extruder were guided through a water bath, optionally dried, and pelletized, to determine the processing conditions variations. Aliquots of the blends were directly taken from the extruder to form specimens from the melts. Additionally, the produced pellets were remolten to form specimens, resulting in a second heating cycle (HC). Thermal stability, calorimetric properties, surface morphology, and mechanical characteristics of the blends were analyzed. Results indicate that ternary blends exhibit higher thermal stability but lower mechanical strength compared with quaternary blends. The addition of PP slightly reduced the onset temperature in quaternary blends. The melting temperatures of the blends show minimal change with additional HCs or drying, suggesting the maintenance of thermal properties. The ternary blends exhibit consistent mechanical properties regardless of the processing conditions, but the breakup force and tensile modulus of the quaternary blends were lower with additional HCs. The surface morphological studies revealed increased cavitation with two HCs and improved surface smoothness with drying. These findings support the potential of mechanical recycling to produce marketable plastic grades from mixed PW.

Dataset Information

A facile alternative strategy of upcycling mixed plastic waste into vitrimers.

Publications

A facile alternative strategy of upcycling mixed plastic waste into vitrimers.

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