A group of scientists has discovered a way to transform plastic into acetic acid using sunlight.
Plastics and microplastics have been found everywhere, from waterways to remote ecosystems, to the bodies of humans and animals.
Global plastic use has also continued to increase over the past 60 years, but this new method would represent a unique and environmentally friendly way of dealing with plastic pollution.
According to , scientists created a “sustainable and highly efficient” method to “recycle plastics and transform them into value-added acetic acid”which is the main component of vinegar, according to a study in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.
The process is a “bioinspired cascade photocatalysis using atoms and iron embedded in carbon nitride,” a statement read. It’s similar to “the way certain types of fungi break down organic matter using enzymes.”
“Our goal was to solve the challenge of plastic pollution converting microplastic waste into high-value products using sunlight,” he said Yimin Wuprofessor of mechanical and mechatronic engineering at the University of Waterloo, who supervised the study.
When the photocaliper is exposed to sunlight, it triggers two consecutive chemical reactions. The first “breaks down plastic into smaller molecules” and the second “converts these molecules into acetic acid“.
A reaction also occurs in water“making it particularly relevant for addressing plastic pollution in aquatic environments.”
Another advantage is that the system works with various types of plastic. Acetic acid can be produced from “common plastic waste, including PVC, PP, PE and PET”, and remains “effective in mixed plastic compositions”the statement reads, which makes it a valuable tool for real-world waste streams where different plastics are all mixed together.
Global plastic use has grown from 20 megatons in 1966 to 460 Mt in 2019according to the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan. It is expected that reach 1,231 Mt by 2060.
Most plastic waste ends up in landfills, where it remains for thousands of years. It can also become trapped in the ecosystem or in waterways. Some can be incinerated, but this releases chemicals and smoke into the atmosphere.
Recycling is another option, but not all types of plastic can be recycled, and many current processes require the use of fossil fuels.
This newly discovered alternative “allows Abundant and free solar energy breaks down plastic pollution without adding extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere,” Wu said.
Additionally, while acetic acid is used to make vinegar, it also has several other uses and a “global annual demand of approximately 18 million tons,” said The Engineer.
The material is “widely used throughout the chemical sector and also has some energy applications.”
The study’s findings also “point to new possibilities to directly address microplastics“, as the “process degrades plastics at a chemical level”, which “can help prevent the accumulation of microplastics in water systems”, says the statement.
The technology is still in the laboratory phase.
Teresa Oliveira Campos, ZAP //
