A team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery in the quest to tackle plastic pollution. They have developed a new recycling method that harnesses moisture from air to break down PET, the most common polyester plastic used in food packaging and beverage bottles. This innovation offers a promising path towards creating a circular economy for plastics.
The process begins with an inexpensive catalyst that breaks down the bonds in PET, followed by exposure to ambient air. The resulting monomers can then be recycled or upcycled into more valuable materials. Researchers believe this method could significantly reduce plastic waste and minimize its environmental impact.
Using a molybdenum catalyst and activated carbon, the scientists combined PET with the catalyst and heated it up. The mixture transformed into terephthalic acid (TPA), a highly valuable precursor for polyesters, within a short time frame. The only byproduct was acetaldehyde, an industrial chemical with commercial value.
The key to this process lies in leveraging air moisture, which is abundant in the atmosphere. By doing so, the researchers eliminated the need for bulk solvents, reducing energy input and avoiding aggressive chemicals. This method is cleaner, more environmentally friendly, and faster than existing plastic recycling methods.
In a test on real-world materials, the process remained highly effective, even breaking down colored plastics into pure TPA. The researchers aim to scale up this process for industrial applications, ensuring it can efficiently manage large volumes of plastic waste.
This breakthrough offers hope for a more sustainable future, and the scientists behind it are excited about the potential of their discovery. “What’s particularly exciting about our research is that we harnessed moisture from air to break down plastics, achieving an exceptionally clean and selective process,” said Yosi Kratish, co-corresponding author of the study.
The study was recently published in Green Chemistry, a journal published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. With this innovation, researchers are one step closer to creating a circular economy for plastics and reducing plastic pollution.
Source: https://interestingengineering.com/science/air-moisture-plastic-recycling