The University of Birmingham researchers employed water under extremely high pressure and temperature, known as supercritical. Where its properties and operational behavior are completely different from ambient/hot water.
All organic compounds, including polymers, may be dissolved in supercritical water. Its gas-like penetrating capability makes it a better medium for decomposing complicated waste plastic mixtures into value-added components. That may be used to produce new plastics.
CircuPlast technology
The team hopes to increase the conversion of non-recyclable end-of-life plastics into high-value chemicals for use as feedstock in the plastics industry by further developing the CircuPlast method.
Stopford Engineering Consultants will get a license to use the technique. “This collaboration enables Stopford to accelerate the development of the CircuPlast technology. It will fulfill the plastics management and sustainability requirements of different industry sectors,” said Dr. Ben Herbert, the firm’s technology and innovation director.
“The expansion of plastics manufacturing has long outstripped the capacity for recycling,” said David Coleman, CEO of the University of Birmingham Enterprise. The UK alone produces over two million tonnes of plastic packaging trash each year, of which only half is getting into the recycling process. The university is collaborating with Stopford to develop a practical method of recycling significantly more plastic packaging, which will aid in meeting sustainability goals.
CircuPlast will be an environmentally friendly technology that uses supercritical water rather than industrial solvents to repurpose discarded plastics circularly. The technique will give a sustainable alternative to fossil-oil-derived feedstocks, emitting no CO2 during manufacture or disposal.
“Supercritical water technology represents the next generation for treatment and recycling of stubborn, complex, and hazardous waste that is currently landing up into the landfill,” said lead researcher Dr. Bushra Al-Duri of the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemical Engineering. I’m excited to collaborate with Stopford on the scientific and operational difficulties of bringing this technology to market.”
CircuPlast will overcome the significant limits of present recycling procedures by increasing recycling rates. Allowing for an increase in the recycled content of plastics. Retaining functioning to a level that is currently unachievable using mechanically recovered materials.