Upcycling waste plastics into carbon nanomaterials: A review

Abstract

Polymer production and utilization are currently widespread and have greatly improved people's standards of living. However, due to their stable and nonbiodegradable nature, postconsumer polymers pose challenging issues to the environment and ecosystems. Efforts are being made not only to contain the generation of polymer wastes and associated littering but, also, to find ways of utilizing them sustainably. Aside from mechanical recycling, which turns postconsumer polymers into new polymer products, and thermal recycling, which releases the thermal energy contained within waste plastics through combustion, chemical recycling converts waste polymers into feedstock for chemicals/materials/fuels production. This manuscript reviews prior work on a special application of the particular chemical recycling route that converts polymers into carbon‐based nanomaterials. These materials feature extraordinary physical and chemical properties with tremendous applications potential. However, their production processes are both resource‐ and energy‐intensive. Yet, by taking advantage of the high carbon content of waste polymers, as well as of their high energy content, a cost‐effective, environmentally‐friendly, and self‐sustaining production of carbon nanomaterials can be achieved. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2014,131, 39931.