Lecture

Plastics Recycling & Sorting Technologies

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In course

MSE-463: Recycling of materials

Students understand the issues and key factors of a waste recycling process. They know the sorting and recycling technologies of various materials and are able to compare the environmental impact of recycling with that of using raw material resources. ...

Description

This lecture covers the recycling and sorting technologies of plastics, including the vast variety of plastic materials, additives, polymer configurations, and the structure of petroleum applications. It delves into the challenges and methods of recycling, such as mechanical and chemical processes, energy recovery, and the impact of recycling on material properties. The lecture also explores the vital recycling chain, plastics separation technologies, and the SPI voluntary plastic container coding system.

Instructor

Yves Leterrier

Yves Leterrier joined EPFL in 1993 and is a faculty member of the Materials Institute. He is a senior scientist and lecturer in the Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC, previously Laboratory of Composite and Polymer Technology, LTC). Activities 2000-2005: Foundation and Chair of the Korea-Switzerland joint symposia on materials and micro-technologies2004-2008: Board member of FLEXIDIS (the European flexible display consortium) 2004-2009: Group leader on lightweight materials for Solar ImpulseSince 2008: Board member of the French Adhesion SocietySince 2000: President of the EPFL Materials Science Library commissionSince 2012: Editorial board member, Applied Surface ScienceSince 2014: Associate Editor, Frontiers in MaterialsSince 2021: Coordinator of the EPFL Minor on 'Engineering for Sustainability' Background 1987: MS in materials science and solid state physics (INPL, France) 1991: PhD in materials science (Ecole des Mines, INPL, France) 1992: Research Associate, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, USA)

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Chemistry

Organic chemistry: Polymer chemistry

Environmental science

Environmental policy: Waste management

Related concepts (32)

Plastic recycling

Plastic recycling is the processing of plastic waste into other products. Recycling can reduce dependence on landfill, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling rates lag those of other recoverable materials, such as aluminium, glass and paper. Through 2015, the world produced some 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste, only 9% of which has been recycled, and only ~1% has been recycled more than once.

Plastic

Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, plus a wide range of other properties, such as being lightweight, durable, flexible, and inexpensive to produce, has led to its widespread use. Plastics typically are made through human industrial systems.

Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the properties it had in its original state. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. It can also prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy use, air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling).

Aluminium recycling

Aluminium recycling is the process by which scrap aluminium can be reused in products after its initial production. The process involves simply re-melting the metal, which is far less expensive and energy-intensive than creating new aluminium (Recycled Aluminum-Secondary Aluminium) through the electrolysis of aluminium oxide (), which must first be mined from bauxite ore and then refined into aluminium oxide using the Bayer process and then refined again into aluminium metal using the Hall–Héroult process.

Electronic waste recycling

Electronic waste recycling, electronics recycling or e-waste recycling is the disassembly and separation of components and raw materials of waste electronics; when referring to specific types of e-waste, the terms like computer recycling or mobile phone recycling may be used. Like other waste streams, re-use, donation and repair are common sustainable ways to dispose of IT waste. Since its inception in the early 1990s, more and more devices are recycled worldwide due to increased awareness and investment.

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