Closed-loop recyclable plastics from poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate).
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 36947613.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adg2295 and PMC identifier 10032590.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Ethyl cyanoacrylate is a highly reactive monomer that has been used nearly exclusively to make Super Glue and related fast-setting adhesives. Here, we describe transformation of this highly abundant, readily available monomer into a closed-loop recyclable plastic that could supplant currently used (and often unrecycled/unrecyclable) plastics, such as poly(styrene). We report polymerization conditions, plastic-processing methods, and plastic-recycling protocols for poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) plastics that make the Super Glue monomer a viable starting material for a next generation of closed-loop recyclable plastics. The processes described are scalable, and the plastics can be recycled in a closed-loop process with >90% yields, even when combined with a heterogeneous mixture of other types of plastic.