Researchers at Georgia Tech invented a process that uses physical impacts to decompose PET plastic instead of applying heat or chemical treatments, reported Interesting Engineering.
It’s called mechanochemical recycling, which IE explained “is a process that uses physical impacts rather than heat or harsh solvents.”
The work solves a persistent problem in recycling. PET plastic, which forms drink bottles and polyester fabric, holds together so stubbornly that conventional recycling struggles to take it apart. Manufacturing creates millions of tons each year, and most of the discarded material winds up in landfills.
The research team, headed by postdoctoral researcher Kinga Gołąbek and Professor Carsten Sievers, struck solid PET samples with metal spheres in carefully measured tests. The collisions created enough force to start a reaction between the plastic and an alkaline substance, achieving decomposition at ordinary temperatures.
“We’re showing that mechanical impacts can help decompose plastics into their original molecules in a controllable and efficient way,” Sievers said. “This could transform the recycling of plastics into a more sustainable process.”
The team used precise testing and computer modeling to study the effects of powerful collisions. Contact points formed small indentations where conditions became most extreme. In these areas, polymer chains extended and split apart while the substance became pliable enough to allow the chemical process.
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Some chemical links broke from nothing but the collision force, which proves that kinetic energy by itself can cause molecular breakdown.
The work showed that impact strength determines results. Light taps changed only surface layers, but harder hits created deep fractures that made more of the material available to react. Engineers can use this information to build better systems that increase breakdown rates without wasting power.
If you want to reduce plastic waste at home, wash and reuse containers when possible, purchase products with minimal packaging, and buy from companies that use sustainable materials.
“This approach could help close the loop on plastic waste,” Sievers said. “We could imagine recycling systems where everyday plastics are processed mechanochemically, giving waste new life repeatedly and reducing environmental impact.”
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