Potential Chemicals from Plastic Wastes

Abstract

Plastic is referred to as a “material of every application”. From the packaging and automotive industries to the medical apparatus and computer electronics sectors, plastic materials are fulfilling demands efficiently. These plastics usually end up in landfills and incinerators, creating plastic waste pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2015, 9.1% of the plastic materials generated in the U.S. municipal solid waste stream was recycled, 15.5% was combusted for energy, and 75.4% was sent to landfills. If we can produce high-value chemicals from plastic wastes, a range of various product portfolios can be created. This will help to transform chemical industries, especially the petrochemical and plastic sectors. In turn, we can manage plastic waste pollution, reduce the consumption of virgin petroleum, and protect human health and the environment. This review provides a description of chemicals that can be produced from different plastic wastes and the research challenges involved in plastic waste to chemical production. This review also provides a brief overview of the state-of-the-art processes to help future system designers in the plastic waste to chemicals area.

A Thermo-Catalytic Pyrolysis of Polystyrene Waste Review: A Systematic, Statistical, and Bibliometric Approach

“…Plastic is a non-biodegradable material referred to as the “material of every application” [ 1 ]. The demand for plastics continues to increase owing to their inherent properties such as light weight, low cost, flexibility, durability, resistance to erosion, versatility, moldability, and ease of production and maintenance [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

Chemical recycling: A critical assessment of potential process approaches

“…The most common term nowadays is chemical recycling. It is mostly defined as the conversion of plastic polymers into their monomers or chemical building blocks or basic chemicals through chemical or thermochemical processes and thus provides alternative feedstock for the chemical industry although there is currently no uniform, legally binding definition (Geyer, 2020;Prajapati et al, 2021;Vogel et al, 2020). However, chemical recycling as such is intensively discussed and the term is used in different contexts.…”

Recovery of Terephthalic Acid from Densified Post-consumer Plastic Mix by HTL Process

“…From the perspective of a full circular economy, chemicals with high added value can be obtained from plastic waste thanks to chemical recycling. This not only makes it possible to reduce pollution but also to reduce the consumption of virgin oil and protect human health and the environment [ 4 ].…”