IBM chemists have found a faster way to recycle plastics, even stuff coated with residue

In early February, IBM announced Exhibit A which is a plastic recycling process the scientists have christened VolCat, short for volatile catalyst. The reaction uses heat and ethylene glycol in a reactor — think pressure cooker, one that operates at temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius — to “digest” polyesters and separate out monomers in the form of a white powder that can be used to make new plastics. That material, IBM suggests, can be fed back into the plastic manufacturing so it can be reborn.

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https://www.greenbiz.com/article/ibm-chemists-have-found-faster-way-recycle-plastics-even-stuff-coated-residue

(Photo credit: IBM)