‘Infinitely recyclable’ plastic is being developed which can be degraded and re-cut for other uses after heating at 212F
- Most plastic deteriorates significantly when it is broken down and reassembled
- The new polymer, PBTL, retains its strength and durability after recycling
- Researchers suggest that it may be recycled over and over again, possibly indefinitely
- PBTL cannot be recycled with other types of plastic and should be separated in recycling bins
Scientists have developed a new type of plastic that they claim can be recycled an infinite number.
Most plastics degrade significantly when melted and re-collected, limiting their use in recycling.
But the latest innovation was designed with another type of plastic, called PBTL, which is made from chemical building blocks called bicyclic thiolactones.
PBTL maintains its integrity no matter how many times it is aborted and re-configured.
Instead of just flip-flops or soda bottles, researchers believe it could be used to make auto parts or building materials, and they could help cut down on the millions of tons of plastic that the environment pollutes each year.
Most plastics degrade significantly when melted and re-collected, limiting their use in recycling. But PBTL maintains its integrity, no matter how many times it is broken down and reconstituted and could be used in building materials, auto parts and other high-performance uses
Plastic is made of large molecules called polymers, which are made up of simpler compounds called monomers.
To test the durability of PBTL, researchers recycled a batch by melting it at 212 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours in the presence of a catalyst, as reported by NewScientist.
Then the team used the resulting monomer to make a new batch of PBTL, which was just as strong as the original.
The researchers suggest that the process could be repeated over and over again, possibly indefinitely.
More than 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, of which only 20 percent is recycled. Extensive use of PBTL could reduce production costs and heat up the amount of plastic in landfills and pollute the environment.
‘The failure of end-of-life problems of current plastics has not only accelerated the depletion of finite natural resources, but also caused severe global problems with plastic pollution and resulted in enormous value of energy and materials,’ reads the study published in the Journal of Science Advances.
‘The design of next-generation polymers should consider their problems after life and adjust life cycles with closing loop to a round economy.’
However, there is at least one disadvantage to PBTL: it cannot be recycled with other types of plastic.
It would have to be separated into recycling bins and waste centers.
PBTL cannot be recycled with other types of plastic. It would have to be separated into recycling bins and waste centers
Last year, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reported a similar durable plastic called poly (diketoenamine), or PDK.
These new polymers could reduce production costs and heat up the amount of plastic in landfills and pollute the environment.
More than 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, half of which is intended for short, one-time use before leaving.
Only 20 percent of plastic is recycled worldwide – in the US it is barely 10 percent.
The rest is burned, thrown in landfills or finds its way into the environment. More than 8 million tonnes were landed in the ocean last year alone.
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