F7 Flashcards
Thermoplastic vs Thermoset plastic
➢ Thermoplastic: a material that can be deformed when subjected to thermal effects, indicating that these
polymeric materials can be softened at high temperature, followed by reforming into new shapes or structures.
➢ Thermoset plastic: a kind of polymer that is fixed or crosslinked after the first thermal processing
Benefit and Limitations of chemical recycling
(standard recycling)
Chemical recycling offers new, alternative options that can
actively reduce waste, promote sustainability and eliminate our
reliance on fossil fuels to produce plastics.
➢ Reducing plastic pollution
➢ Lowering emissions
➢ Economic opportunities
o Release toxic substances - including benzene and lead.
o Result in a larger carbon footprint than traditional recycling
methods.
o Need Money and investment
o Energy consumption for the chemical recycling (heat)
o Use of the other chemicals for example organic solvent
Mechanical recycling vs. Chemical recycling
Mechanical recycling
- Physical process to clean, dry and grind recycled material to produce pellets
- Food complaint in North America, Australia/ New Zealand
- Resin properties nos as good as virgin resin and degrade over time
- Commercial availability
Chemical recycling
- Recycle materials are broken down to building blocks
- Food complaint worldwide
- Resin performance is identical to virgin product
- Very limited resin supply at the moment
- Commercial availability for 2025+
Bioplastics
➢ The monomer were derived from renewable
resources (biomass) and then polymerized.
➢ The polymer was extracted from biomass
➢ The polymer or plastic is biodegradable
➢ The materials is produced through biological
processes
➢ A bioplastic is to some extent bio-based,
biodegradable or both.
➢ It can also mean that the plastic is
biocompatible as a medical implant
In the future how to achieve circular economies
of plastics ?
➢ Drastic reduction in plastic consumption
➢ Design of products that can be reused and recycled in their markets
➢ Improved process energy efficiency in plastic and bioplastic manufacturing
➢ Use of renewable power
➢ Increased collection rates
➢ Market penetration of robust and circular recycling and ‘upcycling’ methods
How much of the total world’s carbon emission is from plastic production (the number introduced during the lecture)
2% of total world’s carbon emission
Why the PET have higher recycling rate than other polymers?
They are the main materials used to produce the plastic bottles, made by the single polymer.
Why is the energy consumption of battery cell production so high?
because of the use of the toxic NMP solvent and problematic PVDF binder in the electrode fabrication
