Circularity in Mixed Plastics Chemical Recycling Enabled by Variable Rates of Polydiketoenamine Hydrolysis
Year: 2021
Type: preprint
Abstract: Footwear, carpet, soft furnishings, automotive interiors, and multi-layer packaging are examples of products manufactured from several types of polymers whose inextricability poses significant challenges for recycling at end-of-life. Here, we show that chemical circularity in mixed-polymer recycling becomes possible by controlling the rates of depolymerization of polydiketoenamines (PDKs) over several orders of magnitude through molecular engineering. Stepwise deconstruction of mixed-PDK composites, laminates, and assemblies is chemospecific, allowing a prescribed subset of monomers, fillers, and additives to be recovered in pristine condition at each stage of the recycling process. We provide a theoretical framework to understand PDK depolymerization via acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and experimentally validate trends predicted for the rate-limiting step. The control achieved by PDKs in managing thermal and materials entropy points to new opportunities for pairing circular design with sustainable manufacturing.
Source: ChemRxiv
Authors: jeremy demarteau, alexander epstein, Peter Christensen, Mark Abubekerov, hai wang, Simon J Teat, Trevor Seguin, Christopher Chan, Corinne D. Scown, Thomas Russell, Jay Keasling, Kristin Persson, Brett Helms
Institutions: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Molecular Foundry, University of California, Berkeley, Advanced Light Source, Energy Biosciences Institute, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Tohoku University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Technical University of Denmark
Language: English
Subfield: Polymers and Plastics
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1079818582, G1143651532, G1286236842, G1286251239, G1414775356, G1445641779, G1816284028, G1842381081, G1863003419, G213222014, G2271678686, G2525601846, G2857863752, Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), G30714459, G3083819904, G365575497, G382641700, High Performance Computing Cluster for Public Health Driven Molecular Science - Core Facility, G419881185, G42916606, G4501827968, G498139845, G512830357, G5849692847, G650090426, G654302390, G7354628648, G7438924782, G7613308775, G805243471, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W4253258266