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Saleem J, Baig MZK, Luyt AS, Shakoor RA, Mansour S, McKay G. Reusable Macroporous Oil Sorbent Films from Plastic Wastes. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14224867. [PMID: 36432992 PMCID: PMC9699559 DOI: 10.3390/polym14224867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plastic waste comprises 15% of the total municipal solid waste and can be a rich source for producing value-added materials. Among them, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) account for 60% of the total plastic waste, mainly due to their low-end and one-time-use applications. Herein, we report reusable oil sorbent films made by upcycling waste PE and PP. The as-prepared oil sorbent had an uptake capacity of 55 g/g. SEM analysis revealed a macroporous structure with a pore size range of 1-10 µm, which facilitates oil sorption. Similarly, the contact angle values reflected the oleophilic nature of the sorbent. Moreover, thermal properties and crystallinity were examined using DSC, while mechanical properties were calculated using tensile testing. Lastly, 95% of the sorbed oil could be easily recovered by squeezing mechanically or manually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid Saleem
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
- Correspondence:
| | | | | | - Rana Abdul Shakoor
- Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
| | - Said Mansour
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Gordon McKay
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
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2
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Separation of plastic wastes using froth flotation - An overview. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 308:102769. [PMID: 36116142 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite various initiatives and efforts, plastic solid waste (PSW) has become a major global problem due to decades of relentless use of plastics. Since non-biodegradable plastics can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, threatening animal and human life, discarding them into the environment is not a viable option. Plastic recycling is a critical research area that requires urgent attention since less than 10% of the seven billion tons of globally generated plastic waste has been recycled so far. With recent technological developments, it is now possible to recycle many types of PSW using a variety of methods. This review provides an overview of the froth flotation technology that is currently being researched for PSW recycling. Fundamental working principles, the current state of the development, and limitations of this technique are reviewed. It is suggested that froth flotation with continuous development has tremendous potential to result in a more efficient and environmentally friendly approach to PSW recycling.
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Inamdar I. Recycling of plastic wastes generated from COVID-19: A comprehensive illustration of type and properties of plastics with remedial options. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155895. [PMID: 35568167 PMCID: PMC9095076 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plastic has contributed enormously to the healthcare sector and towards public health safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the frequent usage of plastic-based personal protective equipment (PPEs) (including face masks, gloves, protective body suits, aprons, gowns, face shields, surgical masks, and goggles), by frontline health workers, there has been a tremendous increase in their manufacture and distribution. Different types of plastic polymers are used in the manufacture of this equipment, depending upon their usage. However, since a majority of these plastics are still single-use plastics (SUP), they are not at all eco-friendly and end up generating large quantities of plastic waste. The overview presents the various available and practiced methods in vogue for disposal cum treatment of these highly contaminated plastic wastes. Among the current methods of plastic waste disposal, incineration and land filling are the most common ones, but both these methods have their negative impacts on the environment. Alongside, numerous methods that can be used to sterilize them before any treatment have been discussed. There are several new sorting technologies, to help produce purer polymers that can be made to undergo thermal or chemical treatments. Microbial degradation is one such novel method that is under the spotlight currently and being studied extensively, because of its ecological advantages, cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and maintenance. In addition to the deliberations on the methods, strategies have been enumerated for combination of different methods, vis-à-vis studying the life cycle assessment towards a more circular economy in handling this menace to protect mankind.
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Gazzotti S, De Felice B, Ortenzi MA, Parolini M. Approaches for Management and Valorization of Non-Homogeneous, Non-Recyclable Plastic Waste. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10088. [PMID: 36011719 PMCID: PMC9408078 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The environmental accumulation of plastic wastes has become one of the most discussed topics in the scientific community. The development of new strategies to tackle this issue is of crucial importance, and different approaches are being investigated to effectively reduce plastic waste generated by improper or inefficient disposal. In addition to the efforts addressing the development of biodegradable plastics, the research is currently focused on the development of innovative recycling approaches. Indeed, although most plastic materials are potentially recyclable, only 15% of the worldwide plastic waste is currently recycled, while the remaining 85% is usually incinerated to recover thermal energy or landfilled. The hurdles to efficient recycling come from improper management of end-of-life plastic goods. Moreover, the highly heterogeneous nature and versatility of plastic and polymeric materials have led to the development of multilayered materials, composites, blends and many other different species, whose management and/or reprocessing to yield high-value products is extremely challenging. Thus, although these materials are extremely valuable from an industrial point of view, they add a high degree of complexity to the recycling process because each one of them is different from the other, but they cannot be separated efficiently. The aim of the present review is to return a comprehensive overview of environmental and management issues related to the complex and heterogeneous mixture of plastic waste that is generated at the end of the sorting procedures in Italian plastic recycling plants, the so-called 'Plasmix'. This review lists the difficulties and limitations related to the management of non-recyclable Plasmix and highlights the strategies for the proper, sustainable and valuable use of this plastic waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Gazzotti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice De Felice
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Aldo Ortenzi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
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5
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Morici E, Carroccio SC, Bruno E, Scarfato P, Filippone G, Dintcheva NT. Recycled (Bio)Plastics and (Bio)Plastic Composites: A Trade Opportunity in a Green Future. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14102038. [PMID: 35631920 PMCID: PMC9148040 DOI: 10.3390/polym14102038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Today’s world is at the point where almost everyone realizes the usefulness of going green. Due to so-called global warming, there is an urgent need to find solutions to help the Earth and move towards a green future. Many worldwide events are focusing on the global technologies in plastics, bioplastic production, the recycling industry, and waste management where the goal is to turn plastic waste into a trade opportunity among the industrialists and manufacturers. The present work aims to review the recycling process via analyzing the recycling of thermoplastic, thermoset polymers, biopolymers, and their complex composite systems, such as fiber-reinforced polymers and nanocomposites. Moreover, it will be highlighted how the frame of the waste management, increasing the materials specificity, cleanliness, and a low level of collected material contamination will increase the potential recycling of plastics and bioplastics-based materials. At the same time, to have a real and approachable trade opportunity in recycling, it needs to implement an integrated single market for secondary raw materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Morici
- Advanced Technologies Network (ATeN) Center, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: (E.M.); (N.T.D.); Tel.: +39-0912-386-3704 (N.T.D.)
| | - Sabrina Carola Carroccio
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), Via P. Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy;
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi (IMM), Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy;
| | - Elena Bruno
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi (IMM), Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy;
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Ettore Majorana”, Università di Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Paola Scarfato
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Filippone
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy;
| | - Nadka Tz. Dintcheva
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: (E.M.); (N.T.D.); Tel.: +39-0912-386-3704 (N.T.D.)
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6
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Wang H, Zhang Y, Wang C. Surface modification and selective flotation of waste plastics for effective recycling——a review. Sep Purif Technol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2019.05.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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7
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8
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Serranti S, Luciani V, Bonifazi G, Hu B, Rem PC. An innovative recycling process to obtain pure polyethylene and polypropylene from household waste. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 35:12-20. [PMID: 25458766 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2014.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
An innovative recycling process, based on magnetic density separation (MDS) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI), to obtain high quality polypropylene and polyethylene as secondary raw materials, is presented. More in details, MDS was applied to two different polyolefin mixtures coming from household waste. The quality of the two separated PP and PE streams, in terms of purity, was evaluated by a classification procedure based on HSI working in the near infrared range (1000-1700 nm). The classification model was built using known PE and PP samples as training set. The results obtained by HSI were compared with those obtained by classical density analysis carried in laboratory on the same polymers. The results obtained by MDS and the quality assessment of the plastic products by HSI showed that the combined action of these two technologies is a valid solution that can be implemented at industrial level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Serranti
- DICMA, Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Luciani
- DICMA, Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Bonifazi
- DICMA, Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - Bin Hu
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Peter C Rem
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
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Wang CQ, Wang H, Wu BX, Liu Q. Boiling treatment of ABS and PS plastics for flotation separation. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2014; 34:1206-1210. [PMID: 24602834 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2014.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A new physical method, namely boiling treatment, was developed to aid flotation separation of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polystyrene (PS) plastics. Boiling treatment was shown to be effective in producing a hydrophilic surface on ABS plastic. Fourier Transform Infrared analysis was conducted to investigate the mechanism of boiling treatment of ABS. Surface rearrangement of polymer may be responsible for surface change of boiling treated ABS, and the selective influence of boiling treatment on the floatability of boiling treated plastics may be attributed to the difference in the molecular mobility of polymer chains. The effects of flotation time, frother concentration and particle size on flotation behavior of simple plastic were investigated. Based on flotation behavior of simple plastic, flotation separation of boiling treatment ABS and PS with different particle sizes was achieved efficiently. The purity of ABS and PS was up to 99.78% and 95.80%, respectively; the recovery of ABS and PS was up to 95.81% and 99.82%, respectively. Boiling treatment promotes the industrial application of plastics flotation and facilitates plastic recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong-qing Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Resources Chemistry of Nonferrous Metals, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 Hunan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Resources Chemistry of Nonferrous Metals, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 Hunan, China.
| | - Bao-xin Wu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Resources Chemistry of Nonferrous Metals, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 Hunan, China
| | - Qun Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Resources Chemistry of Nonferrous Metals, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 Hunan, China
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