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Renewable aromatics from the degradation of polystyrene under mild conditions
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Researchers developed a bimetallic iron-copper catalyst that breaks down polystyrene plastic into useful aromatic chemicals at just 250°C, producing a liquid yield of 66% without coke or gas waste. This low-temperature method offers a promising way to convert polystyrene waste into valuable raw materials for industry.
A bimetallic FeCu/alumina catalyst was prepared and characterized. It showed excellent catalytic activity to quantitatively convert polystyrene (PS) into aromatics at low temperatures. A clear goldish yellow liquid was produced at 250 °C in a batch reactor without distillation. A liquid yield of 66% in an inert environment was achieved without the formation of coke and gas by-products. An exposure time of 90 min. and a catalyst loading of 200 mg were considered as an optimum conditions to minimize the styrene re-polymerization. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis confirms that the primary products are styrene, ethylbenzene, cumene, toluene and α-methylstyrene.
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Researchers developed a scalable continuous low-pressure hydrothermal processing method to convert polystyrene plastic waste into valuable monomers, operating without catalysts, producing less char than pyrolysis, and requiring substantially lower pressures than supercritical methods.
Catalytic oxidation of polystyrene to aromatic oxygenates over a graphitic carbon nitride catalyst
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Researchers demonstrated a photocatalytic method to break down polystyrene plastic waste into useful aromatic chemicals including benzoic acid, acetophenone, and benzaldehyde using graphitic carbon nitride catalysts under visible light. The process achieved over 90% conversion of polystyrene, yielding 0.36 grams of valuable aromatic products from 0.5 grams of plastic waste.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.