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From recycling to upcycling: A smarter way of dealing with plastic -- ScienceDaily
Science News from research organizations 1 . 2 . From recycling to upcycling: A smarter way of dealing with plastic . Date: September 29, 2021 Source: RMIT University Summary: Researchers have developed a clean and cost-effective way to upcycle used plastic, transforming it into valuable nanomaterials and high-quality fuel. Share: FULL STORY Researchers have developed a clean and cost-effective way to upcycle used plastic, transforming it into valuable nanomaterials and high-quality fuel. advertisement Key points New tech produces carbon nanotubes and clean liquid fuel from used plastic . Smart solution for upcycling plastic and agricultural waste simultaneously . Circular economy approach to help turn two massive waste streams into genuine revenue . Globally only about 20% of waste plastics are recycled. Boosting that figure remains a challenge as recycling plastic cleanly can be expensive and usually produces lower-value products, often making it financially unviable. The new method from researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, can produce high-value products from plastic -- carbon nanotubes and clean liquid fuel -- while simultaneously upcycling agricultural and organic waste. The team's two-step process, revealed in the Journal of Environmental Management , converts organic waste into a carbon-rich and high-value form of charcoal, then uses this as a catalyst to upcycle the plastic. Lead researcher Associate Professor Kalpit Shah said upcycling two massive waste streams through one circular economy approach could deliver significant financial and environmental benefits. advertisement "Our method is clean, cost-effective and readily scaleable," Shah said. "It's a smart solution for transforming both used plastic and organic waste -- whether tonnes of biomass from a farm or food waste and garden clippings from household green bins. "We hope this technology could be used in future by local councils and municipal governments to help turn this waste into genuine revenue streams." High-value nanomaterials The new plastic upcycling approach offers a sustainable alternative for the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). advertisement These hollow, cylindrical structures have exceptional electronic and mechanical properties, with applications across a broad range of sectors including hydrogen storage, composite materials, electronics, fuel cells and biomedical technologies. Carbon nanotubes are in growing demand, particularly in aerospace and defence, where they can facilitate the design of lightweight parts. The global market for CNTs has been projected to reach $5.8 billion by 2027. Turning old into new The new method starts with converting agricultural or organic waste to biochar -- a carbon-rich form of charcoal often used for improving soil health. The biochar is used to eliminate toxic contaminants -- such as Poly-cyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, known as PAHs -- as the waste plastic is broken down into its components of gas and oil. The process eliminates those contaminants and convert plastics into high-quality liquid fuel. At the same time, the carbon in the plastic is converted into carbon nanotubes, which coat the biochar. These nanotubes can be exfoliated for use by various industries or the nano-enhanced biochar can be used directly for environmental remediation and boosting agricultural soils. The study is the first to use low-cost and widely available biochar as a catalyst for making contaminant-free fuel and carbon nanomaterials from plastic. Shah, the Deputy Director (Academic) of the ARC Training Centre for Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource at RMIT, said while the study only investigated one type of plastic the approach would be applicable to a range of plastic types. "We focused on polypropylene as this is widely used in the packaging industry," he said. "While we need to do further research to test different plastics, as the quality of the fuel produced will vary, the method we've developed is generally suitable for upcycling any polymers -- the base ingredients for all plastic." Hyper-efficient reactor The experimental study conducted at lab scale can also be replicated in a new type of hyper-efficient reactor that has been developed and patented by RMIT. The reactor is based on fluidised bed technology and offers significant improvement in heat and mass transfer, to reduce overall capital and operating costs. The next steps for the upcycling research will involve detailed computer modelling to optimise the methodology, followed by pilot trials in the reactor. The team from RMIT's School of Engineering is keen to collaborate with plastic and waste industries to further the research and investigate other potential applications of the upcycling method. The research was supported through an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship. Story Source: Materials provided by RMIT University . Original written by Gosia Kaszubska. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Journal Reference : Kalpit Shah, Savankumar Patel, Pobitra Halder, Sazal Kundu, Mojtaba Hedayati Marzbali, Ibrahim Gbolahan Hakeem, Biplob Kumar Pramanik, Ken Chiang, Tejas Patel. Conversion of pyrolytic non-condensable gases from polypropylene co-polymer into bamboo-type carbon nanotubes and high-quality oil using biochar as catalyst . Journal of Environmental Management , 2022; 301: 113791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113791 . Cite This Page : MLA . APA . Chicago . RMIT University. "From recycling to upcycling: A smarter way of dealing with plastic." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 September 2021. . RMIT University. (2021, September 29). From recycling to upcycling: A smarter way of dealing with plastic. ScienceDaily . Retrieved September 29, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210929094218.htm RMIT University. "From recycling to upcycling: A smarter way of dealing with plastic." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210929094218.htm (accessed September 29, 2021). RELATED TOPICS Matter & Energy Graphene . Materials Science . Alternative Fuels . Engineering and Construction . Earth & Climate Recycling and Waste . Hazardous Waste . Renewable Energy . Environmental Science . advertisement RELATED TERMS Air pollution . Confocal laser scanning microscopy . Carbon monoxide . Flexible-fuel vehicle . Solar power . The Long Tail . Methane . Internal combustion engine . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . RELATED STORIES New Technology Converts Waste Plastics to Jet Fuel in an Hour . May 17, 2021 ? Researchers have developed an innovative way to convert plastics to ingredients for jet fuel and other valuable products, making it easier and more cost effective to reuse plastics. The researchers ... A Mild Way to Upcycle Plastics Used in Bottles Into Fuel and Other High-Value Products . Jan. 27, 2021 ? Plastic is ubiquitous in people's lives. Yet, when plastic-containing items have fulfilled their missions, only a small amount is recycled into new products, which are often of lower quality compared ... Researchers Tap Problematic E-Waste Surplus to Recover High-Quality Polymers . Mar. 14, 2018 ? Mixed-plastic electronics waste could be a valuable source of reusable polymers, a new study suggests. The team has developed the first energy-efficient and environmentally friendly process that ... Ridding the Oceans of Plastics by Turning the Waste Into Valuable Fuel . Apr. 3, 2017 ? Billions of pounds of plastic waste are littering the world's oceans. Now, an organic chemist and a sailboat captain report that they are developing a process to reuse certain plastics, transforming ... .
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