Page 38 - Plastics News November 2025
P. 38
FEATURE NEWS
After rigorous testing, both chars performed well, tivated carbons from mixed household plastics
but microwave activation required less energy. at laboratory scale. The results were as follows:
Microwave activation required a shorter activa-
tion time and lower activation temperature, and Activation Method Cost per Equivalent AC Amount
Conventional Activation £4.85
thus, required 5x less energy than conventional
Microwave Activation £4.22
activation. Plotted thermogravimetric curves of
both chars suggest that the microwave-activat- While these costs currently exceed the commer-
ed samples exhibited smaller micropore width. cial price of activated carbon derived from crop
Since micropore size highly influences CO2 up- residues (£2.25), the researchers attribute this
take, this difference in width is significant for ef- difference primarily to higher electricity costs
fectiveness. in the United Kingdom. As production scales up
and energy costs stabilize, the economic gap is
expected to narrow considerably.
Toward a Circular and Low-Carbon Future
This approach demonstrates strong potential
for commercial-scale application. By integrating
mixed-plastic recycling with CO capture tech-
2
nology, this process could transform household
plastic waste into valuable environmental mate-
Microwave-activated samples presented a high-
er CO2 uptake capacity than conventionally-ac- rials.
tivated samples. Image courtesy of Household Ultimately, microwave-assisted activation not
mixed plastic waste derived adsorbents for CO2 only improves energy efficiency but also en-
capture: A feasibility study.
hances carbon adsorption performance, paving
Costs and Scalability: Pathway to Commercial the way for accessible, scalable, and sustain-
Adoption able waste-to-carbon solutions that contribute
to both plastic circularity and carbon mitigation
For any recycling strategy to succeed, it must goals.
also be cost-effective. Therefore, the study in-
cluded a detailed cost analysis for producing ac- Source – Plastics Engineering
38 PLASTICS NEWS November 2025
