Upcycling of Polystyrene Waste Plastics to High Value Carbon by Thermal Decomposition

Abstract

Globally, the adverse environmental impact of waste plastics is of increasing concern. Most plastics are naturally non-degradable, thus imposes serious environmental threats, especially, to marine life. Upcycling such waste into valuable contents is an effective approach to managing waste plastics. In this study, graphene is synthesized from waste polystyrene (PS) by thermal decomposition at different temperatures (500, 600, 700, 800, 900 and 1000 °C) for two hours reaction time in a stainless steel autoclave. The synthesized materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy-disperse X-ray analysis (EDS) and surface area by using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The yield of the product materials was investigated and optimized against the temperature. The synthesized graphene is considered a promising material for many applications, especially in environmental applications.

Polystyrene Upcycling into Fungal Natural Products and a Biocontrol Agent

“…In fact, PS occupies approximately one-third of landfills worldwide, 6 and leaked PS waste in the environment 7,8 causes adverse health effects both to humans 9−12 and wildlife. 13−15 Several groups have recently reported methods to convert PS to fine chemicals, such as graphene 16 and styrene. 17 In the past year, multiple groups have independently reported the conversion of PS to benzoic acid (BA).…”

“…Several groups have recently reported methods to convert PS to fine chemicals, such as graphene and styrene . In the past year, multiple groups have independently reported the conversion of PS to benzoic acid (BA). ,− In addition to chemical upcycling approaches, biological solutions to plastic degradation have also been of increasing interest.…”

Selective thermal recycling for graphene growth on natural substrates: A comparative study on life cycle assessment, energy consumption, and mechanical performance in recompounding

“…24 In one of the studies, high-purity graphene was produced from PS waste by thermal decomposition of C H and C C bonds at elevated temperatures in an autoclave. 25 Moreover, Yalcinkaya et al focused on the formation of 2D graphene sheets and 3D graphene spheres from waste PS and PET by upcycling process on talc and OMMT substrates by tailoring the substrate size. 26 Beyond long carbonization or pyrolysis duration, various techniques such as flash pyrolysis (FP) was conducted to obtain graphene-like structures from carbon-rich waste sources.…”

“…On the other hand, few‐layer graphene sheets were generated utilizing expanded polystyrene (e.g., styrofoam) waste by in situ loading of small‐sized iron chloride catalyst followed by pyrolysis process at different temperatures (600, 700, 800, and 900°C) 24 . In one of the studies, high‐purity graphene was produced from PS waste by thermal decomposition of CH and CC bonds at elevated temperatures in an autoclave 25 . Moreover, Yalcinkaya et al focused on the formation of 2D graphene sheets and 3D graphene spheres from waste PS and PET by upcycling process on talc and OMMT substrates by tailoring the substrate size 26 .…”

Effect of eggshell/N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) mixing ratios on the sonochemical production of CaCO3 nanoparticles

“…Although agro-biomass is biodegradable in the natural environment, the biomass contains vital compounds or elements that have many uses [6]. For instance, carbon found in biomass can serve as a precursor for producing fuels, gas, adsorbents, and several others [5,[7][8][9][10]. Hence, waste biomasses are valuable materials, and the valorization of such waste is sustainable, economical, and generally eco-friendly [11,12].…”