EFRI E3P: End of Life Plastics as Starting Materials for Filtration and Barrier Applications

聚乙烯 (PE)、聚丙烯 (PP)、聚氯乙烯 (PVC) 和聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯 (PET) 是造成环境污染的主要塑料类型。在该项目中，研究人员的目标是通过三种方法将塑料废物“升级改造”（而不是回收）为用于过滤和屏障应用的增值产品。他们将通过受控 PVC 降解和交联设计防水、隔热和电绝缘弹性体，将废弃 PVC 转化为 Neoprene® 替代材料，可通过 3D 打印形成密封件、垫圈和各种其他产品。这为生产有价值的橡胶提供了一条新途径，防止有毒化合物的释放，并减少对目前橡胶制造中使用的危险原料的依赖。研究人员将设计新的绿色溶剂来克服溶解和再加工 PP 和 PET 的挑战，这将使聚合物溶液的处理/加工更加安全，推动工艺强化，并减少当前加工条件带来的健康和安全风险。他们将利用废弃的 PP 或 PET 生产常用于家用空气过滤器的无纺布和水处理膜的机械支撑件，这将改善空气和水过滤对环境的影响，有助于确保建筑物和饮用水的清洁空气。此外，对水生生态系统中的塑料进行现场采样将为升级回收方法提供真实的废物样本，并估计这些方法减少塑料污染的能力。拟议的研究将由研究生和本科生进行，他们将合作制定研究计划，通过夏季沉浸式体验指导当地 HBCU 学生，并向来自弱势群体的当地 K-12 学生进行 STEM 推广。该项目旨在创造变革性的新途径，将常见废塑料（特别是 PP、PVC 和 PET）转化为增值产品。研究人员假设：（1）如果废PVC通过部分脱氯化氢和随后的交联以受控方式进行化学处理，那么可以直接生产具有可调性能的有价值的弹性体，而无需依赖新的石油基单体；（2）如果围绕具有甘油骨架的分子开发出一种使用实验和计算相结合的新分子设计方法，那么PET和PP可以在更安全的处理/加工条件下溶解和再加工；（3）如果PET和PP纤维得到回收来自废物的无纺布用于无纺布，与商用无纺布相比，它们不会改变空气过滤器的性能以及在这些织物上合成的聚偏二氟乙烯（PVDF）膜的性能。将获得关于溶剂选择、添加剂、增塑剂、染料、填料等如何影响 PVC 脱氯化氢、PVDF 膜分离性能和家用空气过滤性能的基本了解。将获得有关这些过程在消除废塑料进入水生生态系统方面的有效性的新知识。技术经济分析将产生有关这些塑料升级回收新方法的商业可行性的知识，并为进一步改进提供指导。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are types of plastic that make major contributions to the amount of pollution the environment. In this project, the investigators aim to “upcycle” (rather than recycle) plastic wastes into value-added products for filter and barrier applications through three approaches. They will design waterproof, thermally and electrically insulating elastomers through controlled PVC degradation and crosslinking to transform the waste PVC into Neoprene®-substitute materials that can be 3D printed to form seals, gaskets, and a variety of other products. This provides a new pathway to valuable rubbers, prevents the release of toxic compounds, and reduces reliance on the hazardous feedstocks currently used in rubber manufacture. The investigators will engineer new green solvents to overcome the challenges of dissolving and reprocessing PP and PET, which will allow for safer handling/processing of polymer solutions, drive process intensification, and reduce health and safety risks posed by the current processing conditions. They will make non-woven fabrics commonly used for household air filters and mechanical supports for water treatment membranes, from waste PP or PET which will improve the environmental impact of air and water filtration to help ensure clean air for buildings and drinking water. Additionally, field sampling of plastic in the aquatic ecosystems will provide real waste samples for the upcycling methods, and an estimate of the capacity for these approaches to reduce plastic pollution. The proposed research will be carried out by graduate and undergraduate students, who will collaboratively develop research plans, mentor local HBCU students through a summer immersion experience, and perform STEM outreach to local K-12 students from underrepresented groups.This project aims to create transformative new avenues for converting common waste plastics, specifically PP, PVC, and PET, into value-added products. The investigators hypothesize: (1) if waste PVC is chemically processed in a controlled manner via partial dehydrochlorination and subsequent crosslinking, then valuable elastomers with tunable properties can be directly produced without relying on new petroleum-based monomers, (2) if a new approach to molecular design using combined experimental and computational methods is developed around molecules with glycerol skeletons, then PET and PP can be dissolved and reprocessed under safer handling/processing conditions, and (3) if PET and PP fibers recovered from waste are used in non-woven fabrics, they will not change air filter performance properties and performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes synthesized on top of these fabrics compared to those on top of commercial non-woven fabrics. A fundamental understanding will be gained on how solvent choice, additives, plasticizers, dyes, fillers, etc. impact PVC dehydrochlorination, PVDF membrane separation properties, and household air filter properties. New knowledge will be gained about the effectiveness of these processes on eliminating waste plastic from entering aquatic ecosystems. A techno-economic analysis will generate knowledge on the commercial feasibility of these new ways of upcycling plastics and provide guidance for further improvements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.