porous carbon materials at the lab scale, identifying if such materials could be beneficial in economically sustainable industrial-scale processes, and measuring the environmental impact of each method.
This work was performed in collaboration with scientists from other institutions, including Professor Hankwon Lim of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, and Professor Shauhrat S. Chopra from the City University of Hong Kong, China.
Initially, the team collected thrown-away PET bottles and processed them in various methods to synthesize three kinds of porous carbon materials. Through lab-scale experiments, the researchers examined the morphology, composition and performance of these three materials to collect useful data for following industrial-scale numerical simulations.
For such simulations to be performed, the researchers modeled the complete process, from the grinding and transportation of PET bottles and the synthesis of porous carbon to the clean flue gas output. This includes secondary systems to generate electricity utilizing waste heat.
Lastly, they compared the economic viability and environmental impact of the synthesis pathways of the three PET-derived porous carbon materials to evaluate the extent of climate change mitigation and revenue production (from selling the material and the electricity generated) from every material.
Depending on the overall results, the researchers concluded that CO2 capture systems utilizing PET-derived porous carbon could realize plastic and carbon closed loops in industrial-scale applications. These multi-purpose systems could become a feasible alternative to both conventional CO2 capture and plastic waste management technologies.
Also, the findings of this study could help direct the decision-making process of early adopters and policymakers similar.
Most significantly, the suggested synthesis routes exhibit the great potential to fulfill the sustainable development goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations.
The upcycling of plastic waste-derived porous carbon for CO2 capture is a promising approach to meet multiple SDGs since it can mitigate climate change and plastic pollution simultaneously, and facilitate sustainable recycling of discarded PET plastic bottles in urban areas.
Yong Sik Ok, Professor, Korea University
Yuan, X., et al. (2022) Sustainability-inspired upcycling of waste polyethylene terephthalate plastic into porous carbon for CO2 capture. Green Chemistry. doi.org/10.1039/D1GC03600A.