Processing of End-of-Life Materials and Industrial Wastes

Abstract

This Special Issue (SI) offered the opportunity to present the latest scientific developments and findings in the field of processing of end-of-life materials and solid industrial wastes. Due to the large quantity of wastes generated and to their complex elemental and mineralogical composition, the approaches, methods and processes proposed for their decontamination, energy beneficiation and high-added-value metal recovery are complex and diverse. Some transversal research investigations using wastes as remediation agents and for synthesis of new materials were also included in the SI. After a brief introduction, the main scientific contributions and findings of each article published in the SI are summarized.

Green Valorization of Waste Plastics to Graphene as an Upcycled Eco-Friendly Material for Advanced Gas Sensing

“…Plastics are complex synthetic organic polymers created from fossil monomers and obtained from natural gas or crude oil. Plastics, which form a major constituent of municipal solid waste, are characterized by relatively versatile usefulness, chemical stability, longevity, and convenience features as embraced by the modern economic trend [1][2][3]. Their widespread use in products like pipes, frames, and packaging films has led to a surge in plastic consumption in recent decades.…”