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Screening Green Solvents for Multilayer Plastic Film Recycling Processes
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Researchers developed biochar-based composite materials for microplastic removal from wastewater, testing different biochar feedstocks and activation treatments for adsorption capacity. Activated biochar composites achieved substantially higher microplastic removal than unmodified biochar, with removal efficiency dependent on surface functional group chemistry and particle-material electrostatic interactions.
Multilayer (ML) plastic films are essential packaging materials that help protect products from diverse external factors; however, only 5% of all ML films are recycled in the United States. Solvent-based technologies are a promising alternative for recycling ML films because they enable recovery of constituent polymer resins. For example, the Solvent Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP) process sequentially dissolves and separates polymer components using a series of targeted solvent washes. A crucial design aspect of this process is the impact of selected solvents on human health and on the environment. This work introduces a computational framework that integrates molecular modeling, process modeling, techno-economic analysis (TEA), and life-cycle analysis (LCA) for quickly screen green solvents for solvent-based ML recycling processes. Initial screening for solvents based on selectivity is performed by estimating temperature-dependent solubilities using molecular-scale models. Subsequent screening uses basic estimates of energy use and octanol-water partition coefficients (logP) as key measures of health, safety, and environmental hazards. Detailed process modeling, TEA, and LCA are used on a reduced set of promising solvents identified in early screening steps to more accurately determine how solvent selection and associated operating conditions impact overall economics and environmental impacts. The framework is used for the identification of green solvents (from a database of 1,000 solvents) that separate an industrial ML film composed of polyethylene (PE), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Our analysis shows the effectiveness of the framework and reveals fundamental trade-offs between solvent greenness, solubility, and economics. Our work emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic systems view during solvent design and aims to inform the development of new processes for ML film recycling and the identification of new ML films that are easier to recycle.
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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.
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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.
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This study analyzed microplastic pollution in coral reef ecosystems of a tropical island group. Microplastics were found in water, sediments, and within coral tissues, indicating that these sensitive marine ecosystems face significant plastic contamination stress.
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This study examined microplastic contamination in freshwater fish from rivers receiving agricultural drainage, comparing plastic loads in fish from impacted versus reference sites. The findings link agricultural microplastic inputs to elevated contamination in freshwater fish, with implications for freshwater food web integrity.
Polyesters and deep eutectic solvents: From synthesis through modification to depolymerization
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This review examines how deep eutectic solvents, a class of greener chemical alternatives, can be used throughout the lifecycle of polyester plastics, from manufacturing to recycling. Researchers found these solvents show promise for catalyzing plastic depolymerization in closed-loop recycling systems at lower cost than traditional methods. The study is relevant to microplastic pollution because improving plastic recycling could help reduce the amount of polyester waste that breaks down into microplastics in the environment.
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