With an overarching goal the reduction in the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills or incinerators and the increase in the amount of post-consumer plastic in various products, we research the (1) sorting of mixed plastic waste and (2) valorization of recovered plastic, with support from NSF award 2029375 (EFRI E3P: Valorization of Plastic Waste via Advanced Separation and Processing). The presentation highlights results from this collaborative team effort. High-throughput, real-time, stand-off detection of different types of plastics is advanced through the combination of novel sensor technology, spectral and image databases, and machine learning. Upcycling of sorted polyolefins is achieved through (i) selective dissolution/precipitation in environmentally responsible solvents to recover the target type of plastic, suitable for reuse in new products, and (ii) tailored chemical modification of polyolefins to produce functional waxes that can serve as building blocks for high-value materials.

Valorization of plastic waste via advanced separation and processing

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.