Superstructure optimization for management of low-density polyethylene plastic waste
| Author(s) | Hernández, Borja | |
| Author(s) | Vlachos, Dionisios G. | |
| Author(s) | Ierapetritou, Marianthi G. | |
| Date Accessioned | 2024-08-30T15:32:04Z | |
| Date Available | 2024-08-30T15:32:04Z | |
| Publication Date | 2024-08-14 | |
| Description | This article was originally published in Green Chemistry. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4GC00339J. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024 | |
| Abstract | We introduce a systematic framework centered on superstructure optimization to identify the most efficient economic and environmentally friendly approach for managing plastic waste. Applying the proposed framework to low-density-polyethylene (LDPE) plastic waste, we determine that pyrolysis is the most profitable technology followed by hydroformylation to C4–C8 olefins, and the oligomerization of higher carbon olefins. Coupling the results with geographical information, the selected superstructure has the potential to improve the economics of plastic waste management by approximately $3 per kgLDPE in countries like the United States. On the other hand, the lowest CO2 emission plastic waste management uses solvent-based recycling only when there is significant degradation during mechanical recycling. When plastic waste can be recycled mechanically more than five times, the emissions in mechanical recycling are lower. These technologies collectively contribute to emissions reductions ranging from 1.5 and 3 kgCO2eq. per kgLDPE, for mechanical and solvent-based recycling, respectively. | |
| Sponsor | The authors acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation, award numbers OIA – 2119754 and CBET-2217472. | |
| Citation | Hernández, Borja, Dionisios G. Vlachos, and Marianthi G. Ierapetritou. “Superstructure Optimization for Management of Low-Density Polyethylene Plastic Waste.” Green Chemistry 26, no. 17 (2024): 9476–87. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4GC00339J. | |
| ISSN | 1463-9270 | |
| URL | https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/34908 | |
| Language | en_US | |
| Publisher | Green Chemistry | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported | en |
| dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ | |
| Title | Superstructure optimization for management of low-density polyethylene plastic waste | |
| Type | Article |
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