https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2022/08/one-industrys-trash-polystyrene.html * Skip to main content * Skip to search [whiteVTonH]Virginia Tech(r) home [accessibil] Universal Access Toggle Universal Access Close Universal Access dialog Universal Access Options * [vt-accessi]Report a barrier * [vt-accessi]Accessibility portal * [toggle_sli] [toggle_sli] Pause all background videos * [toggle_sli] [toggle_sli] Underline all links * Apply * Visit * Give * Shop + Hokie Gear Apparel, clothing, gear and merchandise + Hokie Shop University Bookstore, merchandise and gifts + Hokie License Plates Part of every Virginia Tech plate purchase funds scholarships Resources for * Future Students * Current Students * Parents and Families * Faculty and Staff * Alumni * Industry and Partners X Exponentially more Browse * Categories + Academics + Campus Experience + Culture + Impact + Research * Videos * Features * News & Stories * Magazine * Notices * Daily Doodle * Tags * Subscribe to daily email * For the media * Apply * Visit * Give * Shop + Hokie Gear Apparel, clothing, gear and merchandise + Hokie Shop University Bookstore, merchandise and gifts + Hokie License Plates Part of every Virginia Tech plate purchase funds scholarships Resources for * Future Students * Current Students * Parents and Families * Faculty and Staff * Alumni * Industry and Partners * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Linked In * Pintrest * YouTube * Snapchat * TikTok Search toggle Category: research Virginia Tech researcher finds a new method for recycling polystyrene 19 Aug 2022 * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Copy address link to clipboard Hands wearing safety gloves are reaching into a box of styrofoam and plastic. Researchers sort through various objects made from polystyrene, a type of plastic that is rarely recycled. Photo by Reilly Henson for Virginia Tech. Ocean trash and overflowing landfills have drawn widespread attention to the plastic waste that we put into our environment. In response, communities around the world work hard to reduce, reuse, and recycle. But what does it mean for something to be recyclable? A research team led by Guoliang "Greg" Liu, associate professor of chemistry in the College of Science, is working to expand the frontiers of plastic recycling. Many of us are comfortable tossing a metal can or a glass jar into the recycling bin without a second thought. But plastics are a bit different. Not every recycling plant is equipped to handle every type of plastic. That's because the chemistry and structure of plastic materials are diverse, and each type requires a specific recycling procedure. In a perfect world, perhaps there would be recycling plants all over the world equipped to handle every kind of plastic imaginable. But we're not there yet, due in part to the fact that some plastics are very difficult to recycle, and we have yet to develop effective, practical techniques for processing them. Polystyrene is one such challenging material. Best known as a major component in Styrofoam, polystyrene is widely used but rarely recycled. Many municipal recycling facilities instruct residents (including those in Blacksburg) not to put polystyrene in their home recycling bins. Currently, the main method for recycling polystyrene yields a product that is often too low-quality to make the process economically viable. In other words, if a recycling plant tries to recycle polystyrene on a large scale, it will either need a financial boost, such as a government subsidy, or the operation risks running out of money and shutting down. One solution to this problem is to improve the recycling process so that it becomes economically viable, or even better, economically attractive. With his experience in polymer chemistry and as an affiliate of the Macromolecules Innovation Institute, this is exactly what Liu was able to guide his team to do. Two men wearing lab coats smile while looking at a small glass container. Associate Professor Guoliang Liu (at right) talks with his student Zhen Xu about an intermediate substance that is produced in the polystyrene recycling process they have developed. Photo by Reilly Henson for Virginia Tech. In a paper recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team presents a new method for recycling -- or perhaps more accurately, "upcycling" -- polystyrene. By exposing the material to ultraviolet light and adding a chemical catalyst, this method creates a product called diphenylmethane (DPM) that is immensely useful. DPM is used as a precursor in drug development, polymer manufacturing, and even as a fragrance in consumer products. Importantly, DPM has a market price that is 10 times higher than other materials that can currently be made from recycled polystyrene. The researchers took their investigation one step further: They wanted to confirm that this new method would achieve the economic viability they were striving for. The chemists from Virginia Tech teamed up with business experts from Santa Clara University and the Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, who ran an analysis to determine how profitable the recycling method would be overall. Their results showed that because DPM has such a high economic value, the costs of collecting and processing the polystyrene would be fully justified. This new recycling method would create an incentive for polystyrene to be collected and recycled instead of going into landfills or becoming plastic pollution. Two men in lab coats look toward a metal box containing tubes and measuring equipment. Associate Professor Guoliang Liu works with his student Zhen Xu to degrade and upcycle polystyrene waste at a kilogram scale in the Department of Chemistry at Virginia Tech. Photo by Reilly Henson for Virginia Tech. "I think it's important for people to realize that big global challenges like plastic waste can have -- and most likely demand -- multiple solutions," said Liu. "We at Virginia Tech can contribute a small piece to the big puzzle and offer solutions to positively impact the world." Contact: * Reilly Henson 540-231-7683 Tags * Chemistry * College of Science * Macromolecules Innovation Institute * Research Share this story * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Copy address link to clipboard Related Content * Article Item Scientist Global leader in cellular exercise research joins Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item A bearded man shows youth and adults how to unwrap fossils in this 2018 file photo. Department of Geosciences' community fossil unpacking party returns after two-year hiatus , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item The ice cream flavor profiles and recipe development were led by Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology researchers Joell Eifert and Brian Wiersema in collaboration with Homestead Creamery. From left: Wiersema, Bethany Spencer, Eifert, Claudia Pick, Erin Saacke, and Kasey Kohl. Photo by Lee Friesland for Virginia Tech. Sweet partnership brings Hokie-inspired ice cream to market , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Video Item Bootcamp focuses on quantum research Bootcamp focuses on quantum research , video Date: Aug 17, 2022 * Video Item T. Rex skull replica added to The Museum of Geosciences T. Rex skull replica added to The Museum of Geosciences , video Date: Aug 15, 2022 * Video Item Virginia Tech's StREAM Lab is restoring Blacksburg's unknown creek. Virginia Tech's StREAM Lab is restoring Blacksburg's unknown creek. , video Date: Aug 11, 2022 Related Content * Article Item Chanhong Lee and Ravi Tutika test the Octa-Glove in the lab of Michael Bartlett. Underwater glove puts octopus' abilities on the hand of humans , article Date: Jul 13, 2022 * Article Item Associate Professor Feng Lin, wearing a blue dress shirt and goggles, holds a pouch battery cell in his battery-testing lab at Davidson Hall. White in color, square in shape, the battery has two prongs sticking out of one side. Behind Feng is a rack with dozens of lithium-ion batteries being tested in charge cycles. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay. Feng Lin helps lead team asking, 'How do we develop batteries with long life and fast-charging capability?' , article Date: Apr 28, 2022 * Article Item A lotus flower is depicted on a background of green shapes against a blue surface. Researchers find whimsy at the nano scale , article Date: Jan 04, 2022 * Video Item Incoming 2019 MACR Cohort visit Venture Out ropes course Incoming 2019 MACR Cohort visit Venture Out ropes course , video Date: Aug 22, 2019 * Article Item Jiangtao Cheng Jiangtao Cheng named fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers , article Date: Nov 05, 2021 * Article Item Feng Lin and Haibo Huang discovered a potential method to convert food waste into batteries. Powered by food (waste): Virginia Tech researchers discover potential method to convert food waste into batteries , article Date: Oct 28, 2021 Academics view all * General Item Questions about studying abroad? Find answers at the Fall Fair Questions about studying abroad? Find answers at the Fall Fair Date: Aug 23, 2022 * General Item Come to the Policy Destination Area's meet and greet Date: Aug 23, 2022 * General Item Mandatory training for faculty members leading student groups abroad Date: Aug 23, 2022 * Article Item Headshot of Christian Lucero Virginia Tech team captures first place in data competition , article Date: Aug 22, 2022 Campus Experience view all * General Item New dashboard provides updates on IT Transformation program Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item A bearded man shows youth and adults how to unwrap fossils in this 2018 file photo. Department of Geosciences' community fossil unpacking party returns after two-year hiatus , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item Students in a crowd, smiling and clapping, taking pictures with cell phones, wearing Hokie gear. Board learns of mental health support structures, new initiatives for student well-being , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * General Item Virginia Tech launches SAFE at VT website Date: Aug 24, 2022 Culture view all * Video Item New Cadet Week ends with annual parade New Cadet Week ends with annual parade , video Date: August 2022 * General Item InclusiveVT Welcome to feature Judith Heumann on Sept. 15 Date: August 2022 * Article Item Jess Silvia is the program director for the Lavender House, a new living-learning community at Virginia Tech dedicated to queer studies. Photo by Mary Crawford for Virginia Tech. First living-learning community for LGBTQ+ studies opens this fall , article Date: August 2022 * Article Item A woman in shadow sits in front of a screen that looks like a scene from space, filled with blue and purple swirls and what looks like stars. Cube Fest 2022 offers stellar sonic adventures , article Date: August 2022 Impact view all * Article Item Virginia Fowler stands in her lush green backyard. One of the original 13: Virginia Fowler retires from the Department of English , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item In partnership with the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Generation NEXT workshops help landowners make plans for the passing of their land to the next generation. Virginia Cooperative Extension to hold Generation NEXT workshops , article Date: Aug 23, 2022 * Article Item Students sit around a table discussing data results that are displayed on a large screen. College of Science launches Data Science Camp for high school students , article Date: Aug 19, 2022 * Article Item Classroom Children face mental health difficulties returning to in-person school, says child psychologist , article Date: Aug 19, 2022 Research view all * General Item 2022 Tech Transfer Bootcamp and Startup Labs Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item Scientist Global leader in cellular exercise research joins Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item The ice cream flavor profiles and recipe development were led by Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology researchers Joell Eifert and Brian Wiersema in collaboration with Homestead Creamery. From left: Wiersema, Bethany Spencer, Eifert, Claudia Pick, Erin Saacke, and Kasey Kohl. Photo by Lee Friesland for Virginia Tech. Sweet partnership brings Hokie-inspired ice cream to market , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 * Article Item A man in a checkered dress shirt stands in a chemistry laboratory, with work hoods behind him. Webster Santos brings molecule inhibitor discovery in chronic kidney disease closer to drug treatment , article Date: Aug 23, 2022 Daily doodle view all * Article Item Triumph Together , article Date: Aug 24, 2022 Missed a Doodle? Catch up on past Doodles from the Virginia Tech Daily Email. Doodle archive Email Doodle suggestions doodles@vt.edu * Article Item Digital sketch of the HokieBird holding the Triumph Together campaign sheild Triumph Together , article Subscribe to get the daily email Map of Virginia with pins showing locations of Virginia Tech campuses. See All Locations link which follows provides details Virginia Tech logo Get Directions See All Locations Contact Virginia Tech * University Status * Privacy Statement * Acceptable Use * We Remember * University Libraries * Accessibility * Consumer Information * Stop Abuse * Policies * Equal Opportunity * WVTF * University Bookstore * Jobs at Virginia Tech * Strategic Plan For the media (c) 2022 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All rights reserved. * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Linked In * Pintrest * YouTube * Snapchat * TikTok