We're kicking off today with a research theme. Scientists at West Virginia University, with help from a $1 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, are using microwave irradiation to try to recycle polypropylene.
Researchers at the school said one advantage of microwaves is it can break down the PP into propylene monomers at much lower temperatures than thermal processes like pyrolysis, at 300° compared to 600° C.
In an Oct. 21 announcement, WVU researchers said they want to make microwave technologies cost-effective and overcome technical limitations of pyrolysis.
"The pyrolysis of polypropylene typically results in a propylene yield of less than 25 percent even with an optimized process," said Yuxin Wang, assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. "Our challenge is to use microwaves to do it in a way that is cost-competitive and can be practically implemented."
The project will also team up with researchers at DOE's Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago, where they'll use the lab's Advanced Photon Source high-energy X-ray facility.
"We need to diversify our strategies for dealing with America's abundant plastic waste," Wang said. "Currently polypropylene has a notably low recovery rate of only 1 percent, meaning 99 percent of polypropylene products become garbage."