By Futurist Thomas Frey
A quiet revolution is underway—one that may finally make plastic recycling truly circular. At Georgia Tech, scientists have pioneered a mechanochemical process to break down PET plastics without heat or solvents, using mechanical force alone. This method cracks the bonds by applying tension, shear, and compression in ball mills—turning waste back into raw materials for new plastics. The breakthrough: no toxic chemicals, lower energy input, and high selectivity.
The implications are vast. Today’s recycling systems often fail because mixed plastics, contamination, and the need for solvents or high-temperature reactions make reclamation costly and inefficient. But this mechanochemical method sidesteps those constraints. The mechanical impact momentarily liquefies local polymer segments, enabling depolymerization under mild conditions. No vats of acid, no thermal cracking at 600 °C, no massive separation steps.
Continue reading… “The Rise of Mechanochemical Recycling”