Home
Search History
Clear History
{{item.search_key}}
Hot Searches
Change
{{item.name}}
{{item.english_name}}
Subscribe eNews
Once A Week Once Every Two Weeks
{{sum}}
{{sum}}
Log in

Please Login

Subscribe To Tags, See What You Want To See

Sign Up For Events, Expand your network

Unlock Private Messages, Participate In Interactions

 Register

Hi.{{userInfo.company_name_english||userInfo.truename_english}} Hi.{{userInfo.truename||userInfo.phone||userInfo.email}}

Applications

Toray Toraypearl spherical PA12 powder for 3D printing

Polyplastics, Colgate-Palmolive and PTI unveil new technology for lightweight HDPE bottles

KHS SUPREME PET bottle for oxygen-sensitive beverages

Products

Breakthrough in Lubrizol’s LED Chlorination Technology to elevate CPVC resin performance

3000BPH 2cavity jar blowing machine will show in 2026 Chinaplas Shanghai

NOVA Chemicals commercializes two new SYNDIGO rPE grades

Activities

  • CHINAPLAS 2026: Government blueprint for emerging industries driving new plastics innovation

  • Fakuma to celebrate 30th anniversary edition in October 2026

  • Italy pavilion at Plast Eurasia proves its rising presence in Turkish market

Pictorial

Industry Topic

ASEAN: The Next Manufacturing Hub

Innovative and Sustainable Packaging

Green Plastics: News & Insights

CHINAPLAS

CHINAPLAS 2026 Focus

CHINAPLAS 2025 Focus

CHINAPLAS 2024 Focus

Exhibition Topic

K 2025 FOCUS

CHINA INSIGHT

Fakuma 2024 Highlights

News Videos

Automatic 5L 120mm neck PET jar blowing machine

YZ-ECO2000-4 6000BPH full automatic 4cavity bottle blowing machine

Opening Ceremony of Bechton's New Factory

Conference Videos

【Mandarin session: Webinar playback】SACMI: Your Digitalized Manufacturing, Your Future Today

[Live Replay] LK Group: Smart Manufacturing, New Chapters in Southeast Asia: High-Efficiency Solutions in PET Preform & Thin-Wall Packaging

[Live Replay] Fu Chun Shin (FCS): Data-Driven Digital Rebirth and Intelligent Future of Injection Molding

Corporate/Product Videos

QINGDAO BOUNI introduction video

PVC-O160-400 Production Line Trial Run Video

PVC-O630 production line testing

Exhibition

Playback TECHHUB 2025@CPRJ Live Streaming for CHINAPLAS

Playback TECHHUB@CPRJ Live Streaming for CHINAPLAS

Events

Playback On April 14, the "6th Edition CHINAPLAS x CPRJ Plastics Recycling and Circular Economy Conference and Showcase" at the Crowne Plaza Shenzhen Nanshan is currently being livestreamed!

Playback 5th Edition CHINAPLAS x CPRJ Plastics Recycling and Circular Economy Conference and Showcase

News
NEW
HOT
 Events
NEW
HOT
 SPE Asia
NEW
HOT
 Special
NEW
HOT
 Live
NEW
HOT
 eNews
NEW
HOT
 Essential Guide
NEW
HOT
 Event Calendar
NEW
HOT
 Survey
NEW
HOT
 CHINA INSIGHT
NEW
HOT

Home > News > Recycling

Breakthrough: Chemists realize dissolving PET with electricity

Source：Adsale Plastics Network Date ：2023-07-19 Editor ：JK
Copyright： Original work. Please do not reprint.

Chemists at CU Boulder have developed a new way to recycle a common type of plastic found in soda bottles and other packaging. The team’s method relies on electricity and some nifty chemical reactions, and it’s simple enough that people can watch the plastic break apart in front of their eyes. 

 

The researchers described their new approach to chemical recycling in the journal Chem Catalysis. The study helps tackle the mounting problem of plastic trash around the world.

 

“We pat ourselves on the back when we toss something into the recycling bin, but most of that recyclable plastic never winds up being recycled,” said Luca, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry. “We wanted to find out how we could recover molecular materials, the building blocks of plastics, so that we can use them again.”

 

In the new research, she and her colleagues got one step closer to doing just that. The group focused on PET. In small-scale lab experiments, the researchers mixed bits of that plastic with a special kind of molecule then applied a small electric voltage. Within minutes, the PET began to disintegrate.


The team has a lot more work to do before its recycling tool can take a realistic bite out of the world’s plastic trash problem. But it was still fun to watch the waste, which can stick around in garbage piles for centuries, disappear in a matter of hours or days, said study lead author Phuc Pham.


PET plastic

The researchers apply electricity to a solution containing ground up PET plastic.


Retrieve and reuse building blocks of plastics


“It was awesome to actually observe the reaction progress in real time,” said Pham, a doctoral student in chemistry. “The solution first turns a deep pink color, then becomes clear as the polymer breaks apart.”

 

Luca said it’s a whole new way of thinking about the possibilities of trash. Methods like melting plastic waste or dissolving it in acid can alter the material properties in the process.

 

“You end up changing the materials mechanically,” Luca said. “Using current methods of recycling, if you melt a plastic bottle, you can produce, for example, one of those disposable plastic bags that we now have to pay money for at the grocery store.”

 

She and her team, in contrast, want to find a way to use the basic ingredients from old plastic bottles to make new plastic bottles. It’s like smashing your Lego castle so that you can retrieve the blocks to create a whole new building.


plastic recycling


2b.jpg

The solution turns pink as the plastic begins to dissolve. The final step in the proccess is exposing the solution to oxygen, which turns it yellow and eventually back to clear as the plastic fully breaks down.


Use electrolysis process


To achieve that, the group turned to a process called electrolysis—or using electricity to break apart molecules. Chemists, for example, have long known that they can apply a voltage to beakers filled with water and salts to split those water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gas.

 

But PET plastic is a lot harder to divide than water. In the new study, Pham ground up plastic bottles then mixed the powder into a solution. Next, he and his colleagues added an extra ingredient, a molecule known as [N-DMBI]+ salt, to the solution.

 

Pham explained that in the presence of electricity, this molecule forms a “reactive mediator” that can donate its extra electron to the PET, causing the grains of plastic to come undone. Think of it like the chemistry equivalent of delivering a karate chop to a wooden board.

 

The researchers are still trying to understand how exactly these reactions take place, but they were able to break down the PET into its basic building blocks—which the group could then recover and, potentially, use to make something new.

 

Deploying only tabletop equipment in their lab, the researchers reported that they could break down about 40 milligrams (a small pinch) of PET over several hours.

 Like 丨  {{details_info.likes_count}}
Recycling
PET
 SACMI (SHANGHAI) MACHINERY EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.      
 DONGGUAN DEHUA PRECISION MOLD CO., LTD      
 JUHESHUN ADVANCED MATERIALS CO., LTD.      
 HEFEI TAIHE INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO.,LTD.      
 WINDORA MATERIALS LLC      
 GREENWICH (CHINA) TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LIMITED      
 GREENCORE RESOURCES LIMITED      
 LINKER NEW MATERIALS CO., LTD      
 SHANGHAI HAWKWAY PROCESS SOLUTIONS CO., LTD      
 GUANGXI HENGYI NEW MATERIALS CO., LTD.      
 TAIZHOU MIXIN MACHINERY CO., LTD.      
 ZHEJIANG ROTOUN PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY CORP.      
 GUANGDONG GUOHENG YOUHE ADVANCED MATERIALS CO., LTD.      
 KADIDE      
 GUANGXI WUZHOU GUOLONG RECYCLABE RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.      
 SUZHOU BECHTON PLASTIC MACHINERY CO., LTD      
 Zhejiang Future Petrochemical Co.,ltd      
 YUYAO KAWAGUCHI Manufacturing Co., Ltd.      
 Beijing Chemical Industry Group CO.,LTD      
 KOKSAN (NANTONG) NEW MATERIAL CO,LTD      
 LINYI HUASU ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.      
 ANHUI HAO YUAN CHEMICAL GROUP CO., LTD.      
 ANHUI ZHONGXIN HONGWEI TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD      
 FUJIAN NAN'AN STAR RUBBER&PLASTIC MACHINERY CO., LTD.      
 TAIZHOU HUANGYAN TAIXIANG PLASTIC MACHINERY CO.,LTD.      
 ZHANGJIAGANG GREENLANDPLAST MACHINERY CO.,LTD      
 HENAN SHUOPENG NEW MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD      
 FOSHAN SHUNDE MINGSANFENG MOULD CO., LTD.      

The content you're trying to view is for members only. If you are currently a member, Please login to access this content.   Log in

Source：Adsale Plastics Network Date ：2023-07-19 Editor ：JK
Copyright： Original work. Please do not reprint.

Chemists at CU Boulder have developed a new way to recycle a common type of plastic found in soda bottles and other packaging. The team’s method relies on electricity and some nifty chemical reactions, and it’s simple enough that people can watch the plastic break apart in front of their eyes. 

 

The researchers described their new approach to chemical recycling in the journal Chem Catalysis. The study helps tackle the mounting problem of plastic trash around the world.

 

“We pat ourselves on the back when we toss something into the recycling bin, but most of that recyclable plastic never winds up being recycled,” said Luca, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry. “We wanted to find out how we could recover molecular materials, the building blocks of plastics, so that we can use them again.”

 

In the new research, she and her colleagues got one step closer to doing just that. The group focused on PET. In small-scale lab experiments, the researchers mixed bits of that plastic with a special kind of molecule then applied a small electric voltage. Within minutes, the PET began to disintegrate.


The team has a lot more work to do before its recycling tool can take a realistic bite out of the world’s plastic trash problem. But it was still fun to watch the waste, which can stick around in garbage piles for centuries, disappear in a matter of hours or days, said study lead author Phuc Pham.


PET plastic

The researchers apply electricity to a solution containing ground up PET plastic.


Retrieve and reuse building blocks of plastics


“It was awesome to actually observe the reaction progress in real time,” said Pham, a doctoral student in chemistry. “The solution first turns a deep pink color, then becomes clear as the polymer breaks apart.”

 

Luca said it’s a whole new way of thinking about the possibilities of trash. Methods like melting plastic waste or dissolving it in acid can alter the material properties in the process.

 

“You end up changing the materials mechanically,” Luca said. “Using current methods of recycling, if you melt a plastic bottle, you can produce, for example, one of those disposable plastic bags that we now have to pay money for at the grocery store.”

 

She and her team, in contrast, want to find a way to use the basic ingredients from old plastic bottles to make new plastic bottles. It’s like smashing your Lego castle so that you can retrieve the blocks to create a whole new building.


plastic recycling


2b.jpg

The solution turns pink as the plastic begins to dissolve. The final step in the proccess is exposing the solution to oxygen, which turns it yellow and eventually back to clear as the plastic fully breaks down.


Use electrolysis process


To achieve that, the group turned to a process called electrolysis—or using electricity to break apart molecules. Chemists, for example, have long known that they can apply a voltage to beakers filled with water and salts to split those water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gas.

 

But PET plastic is a lot harder to divide than water. In the new study, Pham ground up plastic bottles then mixed the powder into a solution. Next, he and his colleagues added an extra ingredient, a molecule known as [N-DMBI]+ salt, to the solution.

 

Pham explained that in the presence of electricity, this molecule forms a “reactive mediator” that can donate its extra electron to the PET, causing the grains of plastic to come undone. Think of it like the chemistry equivalent of delivering a karate chop to a wooden board.

 

The researchers are still trying to understand how exactly these reactions take place, but they were able to break down the PET into its basic building blocks—which the group could then recover and, potentially, use to make something new.

 

Deploying only tabletop equipment in their lab, the researchers reported that they could break down about 40 milligrams (a small pinch) of PET over several hours.

全文内容需要订阅后才能阅读哦~
立即订阅
EN Innovative anti-aging solutions for rubber and plastics 64cavity pet preform mould

Recommended Articles

Recycling
WEIMA shredding technology turns 3D printing waste into new printing material
 2026-02-26
Recycling
POSSIBLE project for mechanically recycling rigid PU and GFRP composites
 2026-02-16
Recycling
Borealis and partners to build first fully integrated waste management ecosystem in Indonesia
 2026-02-13
Recycling
EREMA and Lindner Washtech establish subsidiary in India
 2026-02-10
Recycling
True circularity of PET packaging: Sorting food-grade PET or not with Sesotec smart sorting systems
 2026-02-05
Recycling
BoReTech opens subsidiary to tap into Indian recycling market
 2026-02-04
KOKSAN CHINA POLYESTER CHIPS Maguire Bannner Ad (EN)
  • Must See
    • News
    Images
    Watch it
1
Volkswagen to invest EUR 90M in Zwickau vehicle plant for circular economy
2
Brückner Servtec to bring local and upgraded solutions at CHINAPLAS 2026
3
CRRA and Adsale ink agreement on flagship recycling expo come 2026
4
See latest innovations in plastics and fiber recycling technologies at RePlast Eurasia 2026
5
New intuitive web-based tool makes your catalyst design easier
1
Discover Weihai Lianqiao New Materials — Innovating for a Sustainable Future
2
PE PP Rigid Plastic Pelletizing Line
3
FCS Group | Outward Toggle Injection Molding Machine
4
SKR Series Single Shaft Shredder
5
Langfang Zhongfeng Mechanical Technology Co., Ltd., the leading pioneer of manufacturing high speed film blowing machine and bag making machines in China
  • Hot Specials

You May Be Interested In

Change
  • People
  • Company
loading... No Content
{{[item.truename,item.truename_english][lang]}} {{[item.company_name,item.company_name_english][lang]}} {{[item.job_name,item.name_english][lang]}}
{{[item.company_name,item.company_name_english][lang]}} Company Name    {{[item.display_name,item.display_name_english][lang]}}  

Polyurethane Investment Medical Carbon neutral Reduce cost and increase efficiency CHINAPLAS Financial reports rPET INEOS Styrolution Evonik Borouge Polystyrene (PS) mono-material Sustainability Circular economy BASF SABIC Multi-component injection molding machine All-electric injection molding machine Thermoforming machine

Breakthrough: Chemists realize dissolving PET with electricity

识别右侧二维码，进入阅读全文
下载
x 关闭
订阅
亲爱的用户，请填写一下信息
I have read and agree to the 《Terms of Use》 and 《Privacy Policy》
立即订阅
Top
Feedback
Chat
News
Market News
Applications
Products
Video
In Pictures
Specials
Activities
eBook
Front Line
Plastics Applications
Chemicals and Raw Material
Processing Technologies
Products
Injection
Extrusion
Auxiliary
Blow Molding
Mold
Hot Runner
Screw
Applications
Packaging
Automotive
Medical
Recycling
E&E
LED
Construction
Others
Events
Conference
Webinar
CHINAPLAS
CPS+ eMarketplace
Official Publications
CPS eNews
Media Kit
Social Media
Facebook
Linkedin
Adsale Group ｜  About Us ｜  Terms of Use ｜  Privacy Policy ｜  Contact Us ｜  Media Kit ｜  Consent Letter for Processing Personal Data ｜