Zeus engineers have developed a new biopolymer recycling technology to support a circular economy.
Low Temperature Solution Depolymerization of PLA
Zeus engineers have developed a new biopolymer recycling technology to support a circular economy. Unlike the traditional “make-use-dispose” economies, a circular economy extracts the maximum value from resources. The goal is to use resources for as long as possible, then recover and regenerate materials at the end of each service life.
In a newly released technical paper, Zeus outlines a novel depolymerization method using low-temperature, low-pressure alcoholysis of PLA in a ternary solution. This method is well-suited to industrial recycling processes and is consistent with the concept of a circular economy. By not discarding end-of-life plastic components, you can retain a high added value throughout their life cycles.
This new technical resource discusses several important topics, including:
- Various ways to recover value from end-of-life plastics
- Two suitable solutions to depolymerize PLA
- Results from a kinetic study of thePLA/chloroform/methanol system
- Discussion of depolymerization kinetics and scale-up considerations
- Advantages of the low-temperature depolymerization process
Zeus’ new process provides an economically advantageous and environmentally friendly solution to depolymerize PLA.