Ethyl Lactate Production from the Catalytic Depolymerisation of Post-consumer Poly(lactic acid)
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Ethyl Lactate Production from the Catalytic Depolymerisation of Post‑consumer Poly(lactic acid) Luis A. Román‑Ramírez1 · Mark Powders1 · Paul McKeown2 · Matthew D. Jones2 · Joseph Wood1
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Bioplastics such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), which are derived from renewable sources, promoted as biodegradable and implemented for numerous functions, offer a promising alternative to the enduring synthetic plastics abundant in society. However, the degradation of PLA is slow under natural environmental conditions. A chemical recycling route is thus required to couple mitigation of plastic persistence repercussions with circular economy adherence. In the present work, the production of ethyl lactate by the catalysed transesterification of post-consumer PLA was investigated. The catalyst employed was a propylendiamine Zn(II) complex. The PLA samples investigated consisted of a phone case, an infant’s toy, a film, a cup and 3D printing material. Degradation reactions were studied at 50 °C and 90 °C and the concentrations measured at two different time intervals, 1 h and 3 h. The results revealed that greater activity of the catalyst was observed at 50 °C for two PLA samples (cup, 3D print). PLA film achieved the greatest lactate yield (71%) of all samples after 3 h at 50 °C. It is concluded that the propylenediamine Zn(II) catalyst can be used to produce green solvent ethyl lactate at mild temperatures from post-consumer PLA, even in the presence of unknown additives. Keywords Ethyl lactate · Poly(lactic acid) · Depolymerisation · Renewable chemicals · Catalysis
Introduction Plastics in society have become ubiquitous. Their intrinsic properties such as electrical insulation, low density and chemical resistance have enabled utility in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, electrical and transportation [1]. It is estimated that 8300 Mt of synthetic plastics have been produced globally to date; of these, only 9% by mass of waste plastics are recycled, 79% are discarded in landfills or the natural environment and 12% incinerated [2]. Furthermore, plastic degradation takes hundreds of years under natural conditions [3]. On an extensive scale, these waste plastics which accumulate on land and in the oceans inflict damage upon the environment [2]. The ingestion * Matthew D. Jones [email protected] * Joseph Wood [email protected] 1
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
2
of waste plastics by marine life, for instance, culminates in intestinal tract blockage, lower food uptake and death; ingesting plastic debris (microplastics) comprising of chemical pollutants contaminates food chains and raises toxicity with each successive trophic level [4]. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in microplastics, have adverse health effects, including reproductive abnormalities, carcinogenesis and acut
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