ScienceYahoo News CanadaScientists find effective way to dissolve a recycling-resistant plastic
US researchers have found a way to fully break down a tough recycling-resistant plastic using an eco-friendly solvent and a ruthenium catalyst.
A newly engineered enzyme variant has been shown to be effective in completely breaking down a tough plastic in a laboratory setting.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Sandia National Laboratories developed a method to fully dissolve a durable plastic called pDCPD that currently has no usable recycling option.
The plastic is placed in a solution with an eco-friendly solvent and a ruthenium catalyst, and dissolves over hours to days depending on its size, leaving behind a reusable powder.
The study authors say the method uses less energy than incineration and could encourage wider use of pDCPD in products because recycling it is now a realistic option.
The study found the method uses less energy and produces less waste than incineration, and allows valuable fibres like carbon and glass to be recovered and reused.
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