Researchers in Germany are collaborating with industry partners to develop a process for recycling single-use face masks. They are investigating a closed loop process, which means that used masks which are currently unrecyclable could possibly be converted into new masks.
The Chemical Engineer reports that Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, SABIC, and Procter & Gamble (P&G) are working together on a pilot project at a dedicated research pyrolysis plant at Fraunhofer. Billions of disposable face masks have been used during the pandemic, and many have been discarded as litter, or sent to landfill.
Alexander Hofmann, Head of Department Recycling Management at Fraunhofer UMSICHT, said: “A single-use medical product such as a face mask has high hygiene requirements, both in terms of disposal and production. Mechanical recycling would have not done the job.
“In our solution, therefore, the masks were first automatically shredded and then thermochemically converted to pyrolysis oil. Pyrolysis breaks the plastic down into molecular fragments under pressure and heat, which will also destroy any residual pollutants or pathogens, such as the coronavirus.”
By using this process, the researchers have discovered they can produce medical grade new plastic. The pyrolysis oil is used to produce new polypropylene by combining it with a fossil-based feedstock. The polypropylene polymer was then processed to non-woven fibres to produce new face masks.
A P&G spokesman commented that further work is needed after the pilot project, but so far the results have been very encouraging. The research is continuing at Fraunhofer on the chemical recycling of waste. There are some concerns as to how the mask-recycling process could be scaled up.
For example, collecting, handling, and transporting potentially contaminated products at a large scale will present some difficult challenges. However, if a solution can be found, and appropriate financing and investment in the project is made, Fraunhofer believe that the process can be industrialised within 1.5 to 2 years.
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