Revitalizing polymers
Repolymerization of mechanochemically activated waste polymers utilizing RAFT-capable agents & ball mill grinding
E. Gieske (TU Delft - Applied Sciences)
Georgy A. Filonenko – Mentor (TU Delft - Team Georgy Filonenko)
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Abstract
Plastics are a common material used in everyday life due to their desirable mechanical properties and affordability. However, their utilization pose challenges at the end of their lifecycle, leading to environmental pollution. Therefore the valorization of waste plastics is very important. In order to address this, we propose a mechanochemical approach to activate inert polymers found in common plastics, transforming them into reactive polymers suitable for high-value product synthesis. With the use of ball mill grinding, common polymers such as PMMA and PS underwent chain scission and their molecular weight distribution and functional groups were analyzed. Segmentation of polymers asymptotically
reach a minimum molecular weight and dispersity. The chain scission of these polymers can form radicals which rapidly undergo reactions to form new groups such as alkenes. In the presence of radical scavengers, these polymeric radicals are terminated towards RAFT capable polymers. PMMA and PS are successfully terminated with trithiocarbonate and dithiobenzoate groups, followed by repolymerization and copolymerization with respective monomers and comonomers into regenerated polymers or block copolymers. Several factors affect the effective termination of the polymers toward RAFT capable polymers, warranting further optimization. The method explored in this work offers an avenue for the complete recycling and upcycling of waste plastics into high value products, which can be a technologically feasible method to tackle the global problem of plastic waste.