Waste Face Surgical Mask Transformation into Crude Oil and Nanostructured Electrocatalysts for Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers

Abstract

A novel route for the valorization of waste into valuable products was developed. Surgical masks commonly used for COVID 19 protection by stopping aerosol and droplets have been widely used, and their disposal is critical and often not properly pursued. This work intended to transform surgical masks into platinum group metal‐free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) as well as into crude oil. Surgical masks were subjected to controlled‐temperature and ‐atmosphere pyrolysis, and the produced char was then converted into electrocatalysts by functionalizing it with metal phthalocyanine of interest. The electrocatalytic performance characterization towards ORR and HER was carried out highlighting promising activity. At different temperatures, condensable oil fractions were acquired and thoroughly analyzed. Transformation of waste surgical masks into electrocatalysts and crude oil can open new routes for the conversion of waste into valuable products within the core of the circular economy.

What is Next in Anion‐Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers? Bottlenecks, Benefits, and Future

“…[27] Single transition metal, bimetallic, and trimetallic electrocatalysts were synthesized starting from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), transition metal salts, and metal-containing phthalocyanines or porphyrins in order to synthesize transition metal phosphides, chalcogenides, carbides, or MÀ NÀ C-type electrocatalyst. [17,[100][101][102][103][104] Alternative electrocatalysts following biomimicking or bioinspired routes containing NiÀ Fe or MoS 2 were synthesized and characterized, showing promising performance. [105][106][107][108][109][110] The interplay between surface chemistry and surface morphology is required.…”

Waste-Derived Catalysts for Water Electrolysis: Circular Economy-Driven Sustainable Green Hydrogen Energy

“…The pyrolysis/carbonization process is generally performed in a tube furnace under high temperatures, in an oxygen-free or oxygen-deficient atmosphere [65]. Catalytic properties of biowastes-derived electrocatalysts profoundly rely on parent biowastes' properties (e.g., the ratio of heteroatoms, porous structure) and pyrolysis conditions (e.g., atmosphere, temperature, and time) [66]. Moreover, a general method to optimize the nanostructure/porosity is chemical activation during the pyrolysis process [67], and commonly used activators include KOH, K 2 CO 3 , ZnCl 2 , H 3 PO 4 , etc.…”

Recent advances and challenges in recycling and reusing biomedical materials

“…Pyrolysis is a promising thermochemical treatment of medical waste, as it provides environmental advantages [ 46 ], including lower pollution and carbon footprint compared with other thermal treatments, and there is no requirement for the earlier separation of different waste plastics prior to pyrolysis [ 47 ]. This process has been applied to different types of medical waste to produce value-added materials [ 47 , 48 , 49∗ , 50 , 51 ]. Waste syringes made from PP were recycled via pyrolysis in a semi batch reactor, where the pyrolysis oil contained alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic rings, and the physical properties of it were close to the diesel fuel and petrol blend [ 48 ].…”

“…Without catalysts, branched hydrocarbons were yielded, whereas zeolite catalysts enabled the production of aromatic compounds, and higher BTEX selectivity was obtained in the catalysts containing larger pore sizes [ 50 ]. Also, activating and functionalizing char, as a product of face mask pyrolysis, with iron (Fe)-phthalocyanine and Ni-phthalocyanine has yielded electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions, respectively [ 51 ].…”