AUSTRALIA – A team of University of Adelaide experts in South Australia has introduced a novel method to convert polyethylene waste (PE) into feedstock.
Their groundbreaking research, recently revealed in a publication, showcases their utilization of photocatalysis to repurpose PE waste into versatile feedstock suitable for a wide range of applications.
The study, spearheaded by the esteemed University of Adelaide and backed by financial support from the Australian Research Council, underscores the pervasive nature of PE plastics in global waste, with a substantial portion ending up in landfills.
Dr. Shizhang Qiao, Director of the Centre for Materials in Energy and Catalysis at the University of Adelaide and lead author of the study, expressed enthusiasm about the team’s discoveries, highlighting catalytic recycling’s transformative potential in handling PE waste.
Photocatalysts, agents expediting chemical reactions under light exposure, played a pivotal role in the team’s successful transformation of PE waste.
Through photocatalysis, they effectively converted PE waste into ethylene, a crucial chemical feedstock adaptable for various industrial and everyday products.
Moreover, the process yielded propionic acid, a versatile colorless liquid with applications as an antimicrobial agent, preservative, and fungicide.
Current chemical recycling for PE waste is operated at high temperatures greater than 400 degrees centigrade that yield complex product compositions.
Ethylene is an important chemical feedstock that can be further processed into a variety of industrial and daily products, while propionic acid is also in high demand owing to its antiseptic and antibacterial properties.
Dr. Qiao emphasized the unexplored potential of plastic waste as a resource, stating, “Our fundamental research offers a green and sustainable solution to reduce plastic pollution while generating valuable chemicals from waste for a circular economy.”
This breakthrough not only addresses plastic pollution but also advances solar-driven waste upcycling technology.
The research is poised to inspire the creation of high-performance photocatalysts for solar energy usage, facilitating the shift toward a more sustainable future.
Apart from the University of Adelaide, the study involved collaboration among experts from the Wuhan Institute of Technology in China, the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, and Heilongjiang University in China.
This global collaboration underscores the worldwide importance of tackling the plastic waste crisis and the joint commitment to innovative solutions.
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