Chemists explain a technique attempting to tackle plastic waste by bringing the heat

In 1950, global plastic production was about 2 million tonnes. It’s now about 400 million tons-An increase of about 20,000%.

As a material, it appears that there is immense ability. It is inexpensive to produce plastic during becoming light and strong. Its applications range from food and drink packing to clothes and health care.

When a plastic object ends its useful life, it may take a long time to disintegrate 500 years In some cases. Nevertheless, plastic pieces do not completely disappear – instead, they break into small and small pieces, eventually become microplastics. Finally The soil in which we grow food, the water we drink and breathe in the air.

Research has added these microplastics health issues Such as diabetes, heart disease and low male fertility.

Over the years, local governments and manufacturers have trusted recycling as a response to save plastic waste from accumulating. However, despite their efforts to separate and separate the recycles, most plastic still ends in the landfill – or worse, in green spaces and waterways.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, The total recycling rate for plastic is 8.7%About one -third of milk jaggery and plastic bottles are recycled – higher rates than other types of plastic.

Because plastic is commonly used, finding new methods to manage and recycle plastic waste is becoming more important. Plastic waste pyrolysis There is a technique that can help solve this issue.

This is a relatively new technique, so researchers still have only a limited knowledge of the pyrolysis process. AnalyticallyWe try to understand the composition of complex mixtures, especially new compositions from sources such as plastic waste pyrolysis.

What is plastic pyrolysis?

Plastic pyrolysis There is a chemical process that involves breaking the plastic into other molecules by heating the plastic to extremely high temperatures in the absence of oxygen.

Unlike traditional plastic recycling, Pyrolysis is not theoretically limited For specific types of plastic. It can be designed to accommodate many of them, although the current technique is limited to some types – poliythylene and polypropylene, which are used on an industrial scale in food containers and bottles.

So, plastic pyrolysis consumer products such as plastic bags, bottles, milk jaggery, packaging materials, wet wipes and even children’s toys left. Can also do pyrolysis Handle more complex plastic waste Such as tires and abandoned electronics, although solid waste handlers and recycles avoid some plastic types in pyrolysis, such as polyvinyl chloride- or PVC, which are found in pipe and roof products – and polystyarine, used in packaging, as used in packaging, as used in packaging, as used in packaging, as used in packaging, as used in packaging, as used in packaging, as is used in packaging, as is used in packaging Is, They can make harmful sub -products,

During pyrolysis, plastic polymers break into small molecules, resulting in fluid oil, such as fuel source gases Methane, propane and butaneAnd wrap,

Char Pyrolysis is the solid residue left at the end of the process. It can be used As a carbon -containing material For various applications, adding it to the soil to make it healthy for cultivation, as it increases soil moisture and pH, benefits the absorption of nutrients. Four also has capacity Absorb harmful carbon gasesWhich can help prevent climate change.

The main negative side of four is if it can use too much Increase soil alkalinityWhich can interrupt the growth of the plant.

How Pyrolosis works

The plastic pyrolysis process usually consists of several major stages.

In the first stage of pyrolysis, community recycles collect plastic waste and clean it to remove any contaminants. Plastic then becomes chopped into small pieces to facilitate the pyrolysis process. Unlike traditional recycling, it needs Only minimum sorting,

Chemical recycles that operate pyrolysis plants feed the chopped plastic in a pyrolysis reactor where they heat it to the temperature 600 to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit (315 to 871 ° C). Without oxygen, plastic in the reactor does not catch fire and emit smoke in the air. Instead, this high temperature environment causes plastic polymer Break into small hydrocarbon moleculesThese small molecules can be further refined.

The high temperature converts some molecules into vapor, which is condensed in liquid oil. Chemical companies can further refine to use this oil as fuel or to use as raw materials to make other chemicals or plastic.

In addition to liquid oil, the pyrolysis process produces natural gases, such as methane, ethane, butane and propane. Pyrolysis operators then capture these gases, and they can sometimes use them as a source of energy. Power to pyrolysis reactor power Or other industrial processes.

Benefits of pyrolysis

When effectively done, plastic pyrolysis provides many benefits.

By extending recycling beyond plastic bottles and milk jaggery, pyrolysis can reduce the amount of plastic waste pollution that ends in landfills and oceans.

Additionally, converting plastic waste into usable products can help help Demand for production low From petroleum hydrocarbons to new plastic. Byproducts can be used in recycled plastic.

Some researchers are also testing pyrolysis oils to see if they can use them instead of gasoline. Fuel vehicleGases produced during pyrolysis can also produce energy that fuel the pyrolysis reactor, causing more self -sufficient and reduces the need for external energy sources.

Currently, about 15% to 20% pyrolysis products are recycled in new propers and ethylene, While most -80% to 85%-Boms diesel fuel, hydrogen, methane and other chemicals.

While plastic pyrolysis makes some promises, it also faces challenges. Cost The installation and operation of pyrolysis plants is high. How beneficial the procedure is, the availability of appropriate plastic waste, demanding market for produced oils and gases depends on the energy and cost of employees required to operate the reactor.

Another issue is quality control. Most plastic types can pass through pyrolysis, but various plastic make oil with various chemical makeup. Scientists will need to understand the structure of these oils, before the industry can determine which plastic types to focus on and how each oil can create new material.

Among Arlington and our international colleagues, researchers like us at the University of Texas are studying new chromatography-based Oil-cultivation technique It can successfully identify some types of pyrolysis oils. Chromatography is Aquarius Passing them through a rigid material.

Different components in the mixture attract this material up to different degrees. Therefore, they exit the chromatography system at different times, which separates them from each other.

With more research in the efficiency and technological progression of technology to score pyrolysis, this technique can be a part of a permanent solution for plastic waste management. Meanwhile, pyrolysis is now being used, with Assessment of a report The market for pyrolysis plants in 2024 predicts US $ 40 billion and $ 1.2 billion by 2033.

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