Since primary and secondary recycling methods—mainly thermo-mechanical—often lead to polymeric materials with properties inferior to virgin plastics (down-cycling), this project addresses the growing issue of plastic waste by implementing chemical recycling strategies.
The research focuses on developing catalytic processes capable of breaking down polymer macromolecules into their original monomers or transforming them into value-added products for the chemical industry (up-cycling).
This will help keep plastics within the economic cycle, fostering a more sustainable waste management, circularity, and the decoupling of plastic production from fossil resource use.
Thanks to their exceptional properties and low cost, plastic materials are essential in everyday life.
Annual plastic production remains high (390 million tons in 2021) and continues to grow. However, the current plastic economy is mostly linear, with 80% of used plastic becoming solid waste destined for landfills.
Polyolefins (PE, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, PS) account for over 90% of single-use plastics, forming the majority of plastic waste.
They are followed by oxygenated aromatic polymers (PET, PBT, PC, PPO), polyurethanes, polyamides, and polyethers.
It is therefore essential to develop efficient strategies for their recycling and valorization.
Beneficiari
The project adopts an integrated approach to enhance the value of plastic waste through two main strategies:
In the context of chemical recycling, the goal is to develop catalytic processes that can activate, break, and functionalize the strong C–C and C–H bonds, which give polyolefins their versatility and durability.
This will allow the generation of lower molecular weight compounds or functionalized intermediates (e.g. macromonomers), which can be used to produce new plastics with properties similar to the original ones but easier to recycle.
Regarding the controlled degradation of oxygenated aromatic polymers, the project aims to synthesize Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) from plastic waste.
These organic compounds serve as hydrogen storage and transport vectors, addressing one of the major challenges of the hydrogen economy—safe storage and distribution.
The LOHCs obtained could also serve as hydrogen donors to promote the depolymerization and valorization of polyolefins, thus creating a virtuous recycling loop.
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Project n.: PE_00000004
MADE IN ITALY CIRCOLARE E SOSTENIBILE
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