HC Plastics News:
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have made significant contributions to solving the global problem of plastic waste. They have created a way to convert plastic bottle waste into aerogel for many useful applications.
Plastic bottles are usually made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the world's most recycled plastic. The PET aerogel developed by the research team led by the National University of Singapore using plastic bottle waste – the world's first – is soft, flexible, durable, very light and easy to handle. They also have excellent thermal insulation properties and strong absorption capacity. These properties make it suitable for a wide range of applications, such as building insulation and sound insulation, oil cleaning, and lightweight linings for firefighting suits and carbon dioxide absorbing masks for fire rescue and escape.
Turning waste into treasure! Plastic bottle waste can be converted into ultra-light super materials
Plastic waste is toxic and non-biodegradable. This waste often flows into the oceans and landfills, affecting marine life, and causing problems such as groundwater pollution and scarcity of land. Globally, the annual consumption of plastic bottles has been steadily increasing, and it is estimated that by 2021, the annual consumption will exceed 5 trillion tons.
Plastic bottle waste is the most common type of plastic waste that has an adverse effect on the environment. The research team developed a simple, economical, and environmentally friendly method to convert plastic bottle waste into PET aerogel for a variety of uses. A plastic bottle can be recycled to produce a4 size PET aerogel tablets. This manufacturing technique is also easy to mass produce. In this way, we can help reduce the environmental hazards of plastic waste.
The research team spent two years (from August 2016 to August 2018) to develop technologies for the manufacture of PET aerogels. The PET aerogel is very versatile. We can give them different surface treatments to customize them for different applications. For example, PET aerogels can absorb large amounts of oil very quickly when different methyl groups are added. According to our experiments, they are seven times more powerful than existing commercial adsorbents and are ideal for cleaning oil spills.
Lighter and safer fire service
Another novel application is the use of the thermal properties of PET aerogels for fire safety applications. Existing firefighting suits are bulky and are often used with other breathing and safety equipment. This can cause damage to firefighters, especially in long-term operations.
The new lightweight PET aerogel has excellent heat resistance and stability after being coated with a flame retardant. It can withstand temperatures of 620 degrees Celsius - seven times the insulation of traditional firefighting suits, but weighs about 10% of the traditional insulation. The soft and flexible PET aerogel also provides greater comfort.
By using a flame retardant-coated PET aerogel as a lining material, firefighters' jackets can be made lighter, safer, and cheaper, as well as low-cost heat-resistant jackets for personal use.
a two-sided mask that absorbs harmful carbon dioxide and dust particles
When coated with an amine compound, PET aerogel can quickly absorb carbon dioxide from the environment. Its absorption capacity is comparable to that used in gas masks, which are both expensive and cumbersome. To illustrate this application, the team embedded a thin layer of PET aerogel into a commercial fine particle mask to create a prototype mask that effectively absorbs dust particles and effectively absorbs carbon dioxide.
In highly urbanized countries like Singapore, carbon dioxide absorption masks and heat-resistant jackets made from PET aerogels can be placed with fire extinguishers in high-rise buildings to provide additional protection when civilians escape from a fire.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore are also studying simple surface modification of PET aerogels to absorb toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, which is the most deadly component of smoke. In their early work, the research team has successfully converted paper and fashion waste into cellulose and cotton aerogels.
The research team has patented its new PET aerogel technology and will continue to improve the performance of PET aerogels and explore new applications. 
Editor in charge: Yao Chunlin
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