Recycling breaks new ground as PET plastics shattered by pure force

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed an innovative mechanochemical recycling method to efficiently break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics without the use of heat or solvents. PET, widely used in bottles, packaging, and fibers, is difficult to recycle due to its strong molecular bonds, leading to significant plastic waste accumulation. The team, led by Kinga Gołąbek and Professor Carsten Sievers, utilized metal balls to apply mechanical impacts to solid PET pieces, generating enough energy to trigger chemical reactions with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at room temperature. This approach enables the decomposition of PET into its original molecular components in a controlled and energy-efficient manner, potentially transforming plastic recycling into a more sustainable process. Through controlled single-impact experiments and computer simulations, the researchers mapped how collision energy disperses through PET, causing structural and chemical changes in localized zones. These impacts created micro-craters where PET chains stretched and cracked, facilitating reactions with NaOH, and even mechanical force alone was sufficient to break some molecular