Scientists have made a breakthrough in converting microplastics to graphene, a highly valuable material. The study, published in the journal Small Science, found that approximately 30 mg of microplastics can produce nearly 5 mg of graphene in just one minute.
Microplastics are notorious for their non-degradable and insoluble nature in water, which makes them an evolving threat to fish, animals, and humans. They can absorb organic pollutants and integrate into both marine and human food chains, disrupting marine life and coral reproduction.
The recycling of microplastics faces significant challenges due to labor-intensive separation processes and high costs, resulting in very low resource recovery globally. However, upcycling, which involves transforming plastic waste into higher-value materials, has a high demand.
The team used the Atmospheric Pressure Microwave Plasma synthesis technique to convert microplastic debris into graphene, which is one atom thick, harder than diamond, 200 times stronger than steel, and five times lighter than aluminum. The produced graphene can be used for various applications, including manufacturing sensors and water purification systems that absorb PFAS.
This research pioneers a novel approach to graphene synthesis and contributes to the broader goal of mitigating the adverse effects of micropllastic pollution on ecosystems.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-08-scientists-rapid-upcycling-microplastics-graphene.html