Chemists Create Soap and Detergents from Plastic
Over 460 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide each year. About 20 million tons of plastic waste end up in the environment. This figure is expected to multiply several times by 2040. Plastic is used in almost all areas of activity.
A research group led by Professor Greg Liu of the Chemical Department of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute has found a way to turn some types of plastic into soap, detergents, and lubricants. The team has been studying this issue for about six years.
What is the peculiarity of the technology?
The plastic transformation took place through pyrolysis. This is the process of breaking down a substance - in the case of polypropylene and polyethylene - under the influence of heat. The plastic was placed in a reactor, which the team built specifically for the study. Inside, the materials were heated at a temperature of 340–400 °C. In the process, the plastic decomposed into liquid products (oil), gas, and residual solids.
The gas obtained was used as fuel for the operation of the reactor. However, the main work was focused around the oil obtained. It can be used as a raw material for creating soap, detergents, lubricants, and other products.
The next step is to scale the system. According to scientists, this is the most difficult part of the work. Using innovative methods on an industrial scale is most often economically unprofitable. The team is now looking for investors who will be ready to invest in the construction of a reactor for continuous operation of the laboratory or, possibly, the creation of a private start-up company.
"Yes, soap can be created from a few pieces of plastic, but can soap and detergents be profitably produced from tons of plastic? To find out, we need hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's good that we are training talented students and graduate students. They will be able to continue this process in the future. But we definitely need more resources, especially funds for the construction of reactors and their testing," explained Greg Liu.
The scientists also have to deal with another question: can this technology be applied to other classes of polymers? So far, researchers are using this method only when working with polymers with recycling codes 2, 4, and 5 - high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene.
Why is this important?
According to the UN, plastic pollution will triple by 2060. Already, plastic affects the life of ecosystems in water bodies, leads to soil damage, groundwater poisoning, and is the cause of negative effects on human health.
"I hope that in the future we will find a solution and plastic will no longer be a problem that is worth worrying about. Over time, society will take care of it: we can produce useful chemicals and materials from waste," Greg Liu concluded.
