CHEMICAL RECYCLING OF PET MICROPLASTICS: FROM LAB SIMULATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL RELEVANCE

This study aimed to simulate environmental PET microplastics and compare them to analytical-grade microplastics in chemical recycling processes using ionic liquids. The methodology involved simulating microplastics from different types of PET, including aged and contaminated samples, and conducting phenol adsorption and chemical hydrolysis tests. The results showed that, despite compositional differences, environmental microplastics exhibited similar performance to analytical-grade microplastics, achieving high conversion rates (>95%) during hydrolysis. Phenol adsorption was also observed, highlighting the ability of these microplastics to act as vectors for contaminants, thereby reinforcing the feasibility of chemical recycling processes under more realistic and environmentally relevant conditions.