A comprehensive review of separation technologies for waste plastics in urban mine

Zhang, Yingshuang; Wang, Qiang; Yalikun, Nuerbiya; Wang, Hui; Wang, Chongqing; Jiang, Hongru

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107087

Cited by 27 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 133 publications

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“…Differences in the degradation temperature and the low miscibility of molten plastics can lead to problems in the recycling process and the quality of the final product. Thus, this technique requires feedstock purity to be higher than 97% [18], which is ensured by a series of sorting processes. These processes include a combination of manual and automated processes [19] that are costly in terms of labor time (manual sorting and flotation) and capital investment (spectroscopic and laser-based separation) and can induce water treatment and energy-intensive issues (floatation separation).…”

Section: Puritymentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of the Non-Energetic Valorization Possibilities of Plastic Waste via Thermochemical Processes

Moussa,

Awad,

Krawczak

et al. 2024

Materials

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The recovery and recycling/upcycling of plastics and polymer-based materials is needed in order to reduce plastic waste accumulated over decades. Mechanical recycling processes have made a great contribution to the circularity of plastic materials, contributing to 99% of recycled thermoplastics. Challenges facing this family of processes limit its outreach to 30% of plastic waste. Complementary pathways are needed to increase recycling rates. Chemical processes have the advantage of decomposing plastics into a variety of hydrocarbons that can cover a wide range of applications, such as monomers, lubricants, phase change materials, solvents, BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene), etc. The aim of the present work is to shed light on different chemical recycling pathways, with a special focus on thermochemicals. The study will cover the effects of feedstock, operating conditions, and processes used on the final products. Then, it will attempt to correlate these final products to some petrochemical feedstock being used today on a large scale.

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Section: Puritymentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of the Non-Energetic Valorization Possibilities of Plastic Waste via Thermochemical Processes

Moussa,

Awad,

Krawczak

et al. 2024

Materials

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“…In addition to the established float-sink technique, there are dry separation methods based on air separation that can remove coarse materials such as heavy, thick-walled plastic, metals, or glass, as well as very light materials like paper or foils …”

Section: A General Overview Of Plastic Recyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…42 In addition to the established float-sink technique, there are dry separation methods based on air separation that can remove coarse materials such as heavy, thick-walled plastic, metals, or glass, as well as very light materials like paper or foils. 43 A method for more specific separation of plastic fractions is based on the optical properties of the polymers. Automated optical sorters can be used to sort polymer flakes by color or transparency.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic Waste Recycling─A Chemical Recycling Perspective

Schade,

Melzer,

Zimmermann

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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This article provides an overview of plastic recycling development since the 1970s. It discusses the three common recycling options: mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and energetic recycling. Additionally, it considers the challenges of waste cleaning and sorting. The article describes the mechanical and chemical recycling processes in detail for the main constituents of plastic waste, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The current recycling rates indicate that only mechanical recycling is economically viable, which is insufficient for a sustainable circular economy. Chemical recycling methods are often too energy-intensive and require complex presorting making them unattractive. To become economically competitive, requirements for chemical recycling methods have been derived in this article. In this context, the splitting of polymer chains using low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma is proposed as a novel technology. To date, this technology has only been used for the surface treatment of plastic. However, it shows the potential for processing unsorted, low-value plastic waste, especially PE, PP, and mixed waste, which would otherwise be sent for incineration or to landfills. Mechanical recycling is often unsuitable for these waste streams, and competitive chemical recycling methods are not yet established on an industrial scale.

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“…In their recent review on waste plastic separation, Zhang et al [92] acknowledge that density-based separation stands out as one of the most cost-effective and high-capacity methods when compared to alternative plastic waste recycling technologies. Notably, it is likely the most extensively documented process in the existing literature.…”

Section: Plastic Wastesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gravity Concentration in Urban Mining Applications—A Review

Ambrós

2023

Recycling

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Urban mining has emerged as a concept that goes beyond conventional recycling, as it aims to tackle both the challenges of solid waste generation and management, as well as the scarcity of primary resources. Gravity concentration has gained increasing attention as a promising method for addressing crucial challenges in urban mining applications. In this sense, this review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of gravity concentration in urban mining processes, covering principles, techniques, current applications, recent advancements, challenges, and opportunities. Emphasis was placed on shifting from the commonly found literature focus on ore processing to solid waste processing. Three types of solid waste, namely plastics, construction and demolition waste (CDW), and waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), were chosen for a more in-depth examination due to their massive production and widespread generation. Discussions also considered the potential of gravity concentration to address the unique challenges in their processing and explored possibilities for future developments.

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A comprehensive review of separation technologies for waste plastics in urban mine

Cited by 27 publications

References 133 publications

An Overview of the Non-Energetic Valorization Possibilities of Plastic Waste via Thermochemical Processes

An Overview of the Non-Energetic Valorization Possibilities of Plastic Waste via Thermochemical Processes

Plastic Waste Recycling─A Chemical Recycling Perspective

Gravity Concentration in Urban Mining Applications—A Review

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