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Preparing Fuel-Range Chemicals via the Direct and Selective Pyrolysis of Disposable Mask Waste for Sustainable Environment
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Chemical pyrolysis of disposable facemask waste converts the polypropylene and polyamide components into high-value fuel-range chemicals including liquid hydrocarbon blends, aromatics, and C1-5 gas alkanes, offering a strategy to address mask-generated microplastic pollution while producing sustainable fuels.
After stepping into the pandemic, it has been entirely not bizarre to wear facial masks to diminish the spreading of viruses in human daily outings. Due to the low expense and stable protection capability, disposable masks are the most widely used types of medical masks. By functionalities and medical standards, disposable masks mainly consist of surgical masks and N95/KN95 respirators in the market. In the assembling scheme, there are typically three or more polymeric layers (i.e., mainly polypropylene) in disposable masks; in addition, the ear loops in masks are usually made from textile constituents, such as polyamides. Therefore, the vast utilization and rapid accumulation of disposal mask waste can directly bring an emerging crisis of foreseeable environmental pollution. To minimize and prevent such mask-led microplastic pollution, chemical pyrolysis of mask waste is one of the most feasible and promising strategies. Via the direct and selective pyrolysis of disposable masks, it can effectively convert the mask waste into high-value fuel-range chemicals, e.g., liquid hydrocarbon blends, aromatics, C1–5 gas alkanes/alkenes, hydrogen, etc. In this way, it can not only tackle environmental challenges from plastic waste but also afford sustainable fuels with low carbon emission and circular economy.
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Researchers analyzed the elemental composition and pyrolysis behavior of COVID-19 protective face masks, finding that pyrolysis at 400-900 degrees Celsius could effectively recover energy from pandemic-related plastic waste that overwhelmed conventional waste management systems.
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Waste surgical masks were converted into activated carbon materials through pyrolysis, demonstrating a circular approach for handling the surge in disposable mask waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Repurposing mask waste as functional carbon avoids its fragmentation into microplastics in the environment.
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Billions of tonnes of plastic waste, including HDPE microplastics, could potentially be converted back into liquid fuels through a process called pyrolysis. This study tested vacuum pyrolysis of HDPE microplastics at 550°C and characterized the resulting oil, finding it is dominated by alkanes and alkenes similar to light petroleum — suggesting real potential as an alternative fuel or chemical feedstock. While plastic-to-fuel pyrolysis is not a complete solution to the microplastics crisis, this work contributes to understanding the technical feasibility of one pathway for recovering value from plastic waste.
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