Recycling, as a topic, encompasses the collection, separation, processing, and reintroduction of post-consumer or post-industrial materials into manufacturing cycles to displace primary raw resources. Scientifically, it involves material-specific pathways such as mechanical and chemical recycling for polymers, re-smelting and refining for metals, and deinking and pulping for paper fibers. Research addresses process efficiency, contamination control, life cycle assessment (LCA), and system-level optimization of material flows within circular economy frameworks. Key metrics include recovery rates, material quality retention, embodied energy, and net environmental impact relative to landfilling, incineration, or virgin-material production.
In a global first, University of Waterloo researchers have used 3D imaging technology to understand the fine details of microplastics, paving the way for more effective methods of plastic waste recycling.
Nanomaterials
Sep 5, 2024
0
86
James Cook University researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough that allows them to convert microplastics to a highly valuable material. The study is published in the journal Small Science.
Nanomaterials
Aug 13, 2024
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1291
Crab shells might just have another role besides fodder for the compost bin. University of Maryland researchers have engineered a seafood-waste material that removes chemical pesticides and herbicides from produce and extends ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 22, 2024
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90
A global research team led by Texas Engineers has developed a way to blast the molecules in plastics and other materials with a laser to break them down into their smallest parts for future reuse.
Nanophysics
Jul 9, 2024
1
272
Chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University (SBU), and their collaborators have uncovered new details of the reversible assembly and disassembly of a platinum catalyst. ...
Nanomaterials
Jun 3, 2024
0
110
A costly step in the process of taking carbon dioxide emissions and converting them into useful products such as biofuels and pharmaceuticals may not be necessary, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Nanomaterials
May 21, 2024
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229
In a significant leap towards sustainable environmental management and antimicrobial strategies, a team of international researchers has successfully synthesized a fluorescent carbon dot (CD) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 23, 2024
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335
Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute have demonstrated for the first time the recyclability of high-performance carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets while maintaining their essential mechanical and electrical properties.
Nanomaterials
Mar 18, 2024
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168
A pair of University of Central Florida researchers has developed new methods to produce energy and materials from the harmful greenhouse gas, methane.
Nanomaterials
Aug 11, 2023
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328
A research team led by Prof. Zeng Jie from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has made a significant breakthrough in the field of plastic upcycling.
Nanomaterials
Jul 14, 2023
0
113
