Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2025
10:22
Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
3.5K
Progress in Solvent-Based Recycling of Polymers from Multilayer Packaging.
Tianmiao Li1, George Theodosopoulos2, Chris Lovell3
1Materials Innovation Centre, School of Engineering, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
Polymers
|June 27, 2024
Summary
Recycling multilayer packaging is challenging but crucial for sustainable development. Solvent-based recycling methods, including physical dissolution and chemical depolymerisation, show promise for commercialization and unified recycling of diverse packaging materials.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Multilayer packaging, while beneficial, poses significant environmental challenges due to difficulties in recycling.
- Current recycling frameworks are inadequate for commercially recycling multilayer packaging, creating circular economy obstacles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review solvents developed for recycling multilayer packaging over the past 20 years.
- To categorize and assess solvent-based recycling processes, including physical dissolution and chemical depolymerisation.
- To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these methods regarding cost, quality, processing, and environmental impact.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on solvents used in multilayer packaging recycling.
- Categorization of recycling processes into solvent-based methods: physical dissolution (delamination, selective dissolution-precipitation) and chemical depolymerisation.
- Analysis of solvent properties and process outcomes based on published data.
Main Results:
- Solvent-based recycling, encompassing physical and chemical approaches, is a viable strategy for multilayer packaging.
- Various solvents have been developed and utilized, each with distinct benefits and drawbacks.
- The combined application of multiple solvent-based processes could enable unified recycling of complex multilayer structures.
Conclusions:
- Solvent-based recycling methods demonstrate significant potential for commercialisation in the polymer-based multilayer packaging sector.
- Further development and strategic combination of these processes are key to overcoming current recycling limitations.
- Sustainable development necessitates innovative solutions for multilayer packaging waste management.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
2.2K
The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the...
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the...
2.2K
01:03Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
3.4K
Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
3.4K
02:35Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes
7.8K
The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
7.8K
01:13Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview
2.1K
Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists...
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists...
2.1K
01:14Polymer Classification: Architecture
2.7K
Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
2.7K