Thiocracking of Multi-Materials: High-Strength Composites from Post-Consumer Food Packaging Jars

Katelyn M. Derr and Rhett C. Smith ()
Additional contact information
Katelyn M. Derr: Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Rhett C. Smith: Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: A significant waste material threatening sustainability efforts are post-consumer food packaging goods. These ubiquitous multi-materials comprise chemically disparate components and are thus challenging targets for recycling. Herein, we undertake a proof-of-principle study in which we use a single-stage method to convert post-consumer multi-material food packaging (post-consumer peanut butter jars) to a high compressive strength composite (PBJS 90 ). This is accomplished by thiocracking the ground jar pulp (10 wt. %) with elemental sulfur (90 wt. %) at 320 °C for 2 h. This is the first application of thiocracking to such mixed-material post-consumer goods. Composite synthesis proceeded with 100% atom economy, a low E factor of 0.02, and negative global warming potential of −0.099 kg CO 2 e/kg. Furthermore, the compressive strength of PBJS 90 (37.7 MPa) is over twice that required for Portland cement building foundations. The simplicity of composite synthesis using a lower temperature/shorter heating time than needed for mineral cements, and exclusive use of waste materials as precursors are ecologically beneficial and represent an important proof-of-principle approach to using thiocracking as a strategy for upcycling multi-materials to useful composites.

Keywords: chemical recycling; multi-materials; packaging; PET; thiocracking; sulfur (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/7023/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/7023/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:7023-:d:1457334

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().