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This is where “up”-cycling comes in. Scientists have been working to break this closed loop and create compounds from plastic waste that are more valuable and useful for society. An “open-loop” scheme like this is a vital part of practical strategies to help us transition to a greener society.
The new process doesn’t require expensive reagents or harsh conditions and is virtually free of chemical waste. The yield is very high, and any unreacted solvent can be easily collected. They also found that only a small amount of catalyst was required to drive the reaction at a sensible speed, while all that was needed to separate the product was simple filtration.
Reference: “Chemical Upcycling of PET into a Morpholine Amide as a Versatile Synthetic Building Block” by Yohei Ogiwara and Kotohiro Nomura, 28 August 2023,SciTechDaily: Home of the best science and technology news since 1998. Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media.A University of Oxford study reveals rock weathering can be a major CO2 source, rivaling volcanic emissions.