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Evaluation of Plastic Waste Degradation Using Terahertz Spectroscopy for Material Recycling
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Researchers tested terahertz (THz) spectroscopy as a tool to assess degradation levels in polyethylene and polypropylene plastics, a capability that conventional near-infrared spectroscopy lacks. Their results confirm that THz waves can distinguish between degraded and undegraded plastic samples, offering a potential upgrade to recycling sorting systems to improve the quality of recycled materials.
In Japan, the majority of waste plastics are classified into three categories: approximately 22% are used for material recycling, 3% are used for chemical recycling, and 62% are used for thermal recycling. Thermal recycling is not considered true recycling in the EU, however. To achieve a decarbonized society, Japan must increase the share of material recycling. The accurate identification of plastic materials is essential in this regard, and while near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is commonly employed in analyses, it cannot be used to assess degradation levels. Plastics characterized by different degrees of degradation can reduce the quality of recycled products and require additional treatment. In this study, we irradiated artificially degraded polyethylene and polypropylene samples using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and terahertz (THz) waves and subsequently compared them with undegraded samples. Our results provide experimental confirmation that THz waves can be used to determine the degree of plastic degradation. When combined with NIR-based material identification, this method could enhance the precision and efficiency of plastic recycling, contributing to a more sustainable recycling system.
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Researchers used terahertz spectroscopy, which has reached spatial resolutions of a few micrometres and interacts with molecular vibrations without ionizing samples or damaging DNA, to identify and characterize various plastic types, demonstrating the technique's potential for building materials databases and biological imaging applications.
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Researchers applied terahertz spectroscopy to identify and distinguish different plastic types including polypropylene, polyethylene, PVC, and PET based on their terahertz transmission and refractive index characteristics. They found that halogen-containing plastics could be specifically identified by their terahertz spectral signatures, which is relevant for plastic waste sorting. The technique has potential applications in microplastic polymer identification.
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Not relevant to microplastics — this study proposes using terahertz wave spectroscopy to distinguish between polypropylene and polyethylene plastic bottle caps, addressing the limitations of near-infrared sorting technology in recycling facilities and enabling higher-purity material recovery.
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Researchers compared terahertz and near-infrared spectroscopy for quantifying microplastics in soil, finding that terahertz spectroscopy offered a faster and more accurate approach than NIR for distinguishing household microplastics from standard reference polymers in soil matrices.
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