Medical and Hospital News
TECH SPACE
Carbon recycling offers solution to plastic pollution
illustration only
Carbon recycling offers solution to plastic pollution
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 12, 2024

Plastics are an integral part of daily life, but the mounting plastic waste crisis presents significant environmental challenges. Researchers in Germany have introduced an innovative method for recycling polystyrene waste, detailed in *Angewandte Chemie*. This electrochemical process is powered by an iron catalyst, generates hydrogen as a byproduct, and can be sustained using solar energy.

Currently, less than 10% of global plastic is recycled, leaving a tremendous volume to accumulate in landfills and waterways. By 2025, global plastic waste is expected to surge to 40 billion tons. Polystyrene (PS), a common material in packaging and construction, comprises about 33% of landfill content but has a recycling rate of only 1%. In 2022, polystyrene production capacity reached 15.4 million tons, highlighting the urgent need for more effective recycling solutions. Methods that convert waste into valuable chemical components could contribute to a sustainable circular carbon economy.

Led by Lutz Ackermann, researchers at the Friedrich Wohler Research Institute for Sustainable Chemistry in Gottingen have developed an electrocatalytic method that efficiently breaks down polystyrene. This process yields monomeric benzoyl products, which can be used as raw materials for chemical manufacturing, along with shorter polymer chains.

The innovation relies on an iron-based catalyst, specifically an iron porphyrin complex resembling hemoglobin. Iron's advantages include its nontoxicity, affordability, and availability. During the process, the iron compound cycles through different oxidation states, facilitating the splitting of carbon-carbon bonds within the polymer backbone. The main products are benzoic acid and benzaldehyde, key components for synthesizing chemicals such as fragrances and preservatives. This robust method has been successfully tested on real-life polystyrene waste at a gram scale.

The electrocatalytic process can be powered entirely by solar electricity and includes hydrogen production as a beneficial side reaction. This makes the process not only efficient for recycling but also supportive of decentralized, sustainable hydrogen generation.

Research Report:Anodic Commodity Polymer Recycling: The Merger of Iron-Electrocatalysis with Scalable Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Related Links
Wiley
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TECH SPACE
New AI microbiome tool offers breakthroughs in forensics and epidemiology
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 11, 2024
A team from Lund University in Sweden has introduced a pioneering AI-powered tool that can track the recent geographical locations visited by individuals, based on the microbial traces they leave behind. Called the Microbiome Geographic Population Structure (mGPS), this system functions like a GPS but for microorganisms, enabling the identification of specific locations through bacteria samples. This has the potential to impact fields ranging from forensic science to epidemiology. Microorganisms, ... read more

TECH SPACE
Keeping global consumption within planetary boundaries

China snuffs out memorials to victims of deadly car ramming attack

Climate crisis worsening already 'hellish' refugee situation: UN

Spain PM accused of 'blackmail' by tying budget to flood aid; Royals return to flood zone

TECH SPACE
N. Korea jams GPS signals, affecting ships, aircraft in South

Successful demo showcases BAE Systems' next-gen M-Code GNSS technology

BeiDou remote sensing experiment enhances ecological monitoring in Yellow River

Aerodata earns EASA certification for GPS anti-jamming and anti-spoofing tech

TECH SPACE
Chimpanzees show improved performance on difficult computer tasks with an audience

New findings on Denisovans reveal their role in shaping early human genetics

Memories extend beyond the brain in new NYU study

Human culture's distinctiveness lies in its open-ended nature

TECH SPACE
New tools give researchers hope for fungus-ravaged US bats

Critically endangered Sumatran elephant calf born in Indonesia

Young Again: Study Shows Comb Jellies Can Reverse Aging

Summit to save nature enters final day with disagreement on funding

TECH SPACE
Spread of dengue fever in Bangladesh worries medics

Climate shifts and urbanisation drive Nepal dengue surge

Covid lessons learned? UN summit mulls plan for healthy planet, and humans

WHO launches plan to rein in 'alarming' dengue spread

TECH SPACE
Chinese slimmers trim down at weight-loss camps

China's Myanmar consulate hit with explosive device: Junta chief to visit China next month

China to almost double support for unfinished housing projects

Myanmar junta chief to travel to China next month: sources close to military

TECH SPACE
El Salvador troops target gangs in large-scale operation

Hungary's Orban says corks will pop if Trump wins US election

TECH SPACE
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.