Researchers turning plastic bottle waste into ultralight supermaterial
SINGAPORE: Researchers from the the National University of Singapore (NUS) have created a way to convert plastic bottle waste into aerogels for many useful applications.
Plastic bottles are commonly made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is the most recycled plastic in the world. The PET aerogels developed by the NUS-led research team using plastic bottle waste – a world’s first – are soft, flexible, durable, extremely light and easy to handle.
They also demonstrate superior thermal insulation and strong absorption capacity. These properties make them attractive for a wide range of applications, such as for heat and sound insulation in buildings, oil spill cleaning, and also as a lightweight lining for firefighter coats and carbon dioxide absorption masks that could be used during fire rescue operations and fire escape.
This pioneering work was achieved by a research team led by Associate Professor Hai Minh Duong and Professor Nhan PhanThien from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NUS Faculty of Engineering. The technology to produce PET aerogels was developed in collaboration with Dr Zhang Xiwen from the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech).
“Plastic bottle waste is one of the most common type of plastic waste and has detrimental effects on the environment. Our team has developed a simple, cost-effective and green method to convert plastic bottle waste into PET aerogels for many exciting uses.
“One plastic bottle can be recycled to produce an A4-sized PET aerogel sheet. The fabrication technology is also easily scalable for mass production. In this way, we can help cut down the harmful environmental damage caused by plastic waste,” said Assoc Prof Duong. — Newswise