José Badia-Valiente, researcher of the Materials Technology and Sustainability Group of the University of Valencia, has recently presented the work on chemical recovery of polyester waste using protic ionic liquids as the main tool.
This research is part of one of the strategic lines of the group: the development of sustainable technologies for the recovery of plastic waste.
His intervention, presented in a conference for the scientific dissemination channel of the journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances, explains how these new green solvents allow post-consumer polyester to be chemically broken down, giving rise to monomers and compounds with high added value that can be reincorporated into production processes.
This approach contrasts with traditional mechanical recycling techniques, which have limitations when the waste contains contaminants or shows structural degradation.
‘Protic ionic liquids open up new possibilities for more efficient and selective recycling, with lower environmental impacts and greater industrial versatility,’ says Badia-Valiente during his presentation.
This line of research contributes to the group's goal of moving towards a real circular economy, in which waste is not considered a problem but an opportunity. Specifically, Badia-Valiente's work explores not only the technical feasibility of the process, but also its environmental and economic sustainability, fundamental pillars for its future industrial application.
From the Materials Technology and Sustainability Group, this activity is added to other ongoing research focused on the recycling of complex polymeric materials, the recovery of textile fibres, or the revalorisation of mixed plastic waste from industry and domestic consumption.
The full versión is available on Resources, Conservation and Recycling Youtube Channel (62 min.), and is an excellent opportunity to approach the solutions that materials science can offer to one of the great environmental challenges of the 21st century: the efficient and sustainable management of plastic waste.
