We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Chemical Recycling of Mixed Plastics in Electronic Waste Using Solvent-Based Processing
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a solvent-based chemical recycling process capable of separating and recovering mixed plastics from electronic shredder residue, demonstrating that targeted solvent systems can selectively dissolve specific polymer types and enable higher-quality recycling of e-waste plastics.
Currently, less than 20% of electronic waste (E-waste) produced in the U.S. is recycled. To improve the recycling rate of E-waste, the study aimed to: (1) identify the major plastics found within electronic shredder residue (ESR), (2) design solvents and processing conditions capable of separating out 90% of the plastic in ESR, and (3) estimate the energy efficiency of the solvent-based process developed. Preliminary screening showed 25 wt.% of the ESR was composed of plastics, with two polymers dominating the sorted plastic fraction—polystyrene (PS, 40 wt.%) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS, 25 wt.%). Subsequently, solvents and anti-solvents were screened using Hansen Solubility Parameter Theory for PS, ABS, and ESR dissolution. The pre-screening results showed dichloromethane (DCM) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the most effective solvents for PS and ABS, with methanol (MeOH) and ethylene glycol (EG) as the most effective anti-solvents. By optimizing the dissolution time and the solvents used, the highest polymer dissolution yield (99 wt.%) was achieved using DCM for 48 h. Both MeOH and EG precipitated 71 wt.% of the polymer fraction of ESR. EG removed more phosphorus containing flame retardants (94 wt.%) than MeOH (69 wt.%). Energy analysis indicated that the solvent-based processes could save 25–60% of the embodied energy for PS and ABS. Characterization showed that the solvent-based processing could preserve the high molecular weight fraction of the polymers while removing flame retardants at the same time. The results from this study prove the potential of solvent-based processing to produce secondary plastic materials from E-waste for cross-industry reuse.
More Papers Like This
Process Optimization of Solvents Assisted Polyethylene Waste Recycling
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers optimized solvent-based chemical recycling of polyethylene plastic waste to recover high-quality recycled material. The study demonstrates that chemical recycling can be tuned to maximize yield and quality, offering a scalable alternative to mechanical recycling that degrades plastic properties over time.
Molecular Recycling of Plastics Facilitated by Solvents
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers describe solvent-based molecular recycling processes for polyolefin plastics that preserve intact polymer chains — unlike pyrolysis — demonstrating dissolution and precipitation separation of mixed polyolefins and solvent-assisted delamination of polyethylene from multilayer films, recovering materials that can replace virgin plastics without loss of properties.
Tribo-Electrostatic Separation for Recovery of Plastic Polymers from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
AI summary Read the abstract
Old electronics like phones and laptops often contain plastic mixed with chemical flame retardants that can be harmful if they leak into soil, water, or air during improper recycling or disposal. This study tested a technology that uses static electricity to sort different plastic types from e-waste, successfully separating and recovering more than 70% of the plastic at high purity. Better sorting methods like this could help keep toxic additives out of the environment and allow more plastic to be safely recycled instead of dumped or burned.
Chemical Recycling of Plastics by Microwave‐Assisted High‐Temperature Pyrolysis
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a microwave-assisted high-temperature pyrolysis method that continuously breaks down mixed plastic waste and plant oil into useful chemicals like ethylene and propylene. This chemical recycling approach could help divert plastic waste from the environment while producing renewable building blocks for new materials.
Recent advances in chemical recycling and upcycling of plastic waste into valuable materials, chemicals, and energy: a comprehensive review
AI summary Read the abstract
A comprehensive review cataloged advanced chemical recycling and upcycling pathways—including pyrolysis, gasification, hydrocracking, and solvolysis—capable of transforming mixed plastic waste streams into circular high-value chemicals, fuels, and energy carriers. These technologies are directly relevant to microplastic pollution research because scaling chemical recycling reduces the volume of plastic that degrades into environmental microplastics, addressing the problem at the source.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.