Experts from the University of Colorado, in collaboration with scientists from China and Saudi Arabia, have created a new material consisting of chemical construction blocks. According to experts, this material, which is quite strong, rigid and stable, retains its original properties during processing.
According to Gadin.Net, more than 300 million tons of plastic is produced annually in the world, and in the United States, for example, only about 10 percent of it is recycled. The rest is taken to a landfill, incinerated or released into the environment.
One of the reasons why the recyclable part of plastic is so small is that the chemical structure of these substances is damaged during recycling. Therefore, recycled plastic is used only for the production of cheap goods.
The new plastic, referred to as PBTL, can be recycled by heating to 100 degrees Celsius in 24 hours using a chemical catalyst. In this case, the plastic mass is broken down into the original building blocks, which can be reassembled in the form of high-quality PBTL.
"But there is a problem. To recycle PBTL, you will first need to separate it from other types of plastics in mixed plastic waste," said lead author Yujin Chen. Researchers recommend using the new plastic to make a wide range of products that are currently made using ordinary plastic. In this case, the amount of harmful substances in the environment is significantly reduced.
According to scientists, an unlimited number of PBTL recycling procedures can be performed.
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