MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 10/25 www.petpla.net 19 The carbon released can then be stored underground or used in, for example, Power2X plants, which convert electrons into another product of value. “The main ingredient is plastic waste that would otherwise have an unsustainable afterlife, and the synthesis we use, where the chemical transformation takes place, is gentler than other materials for CO2 capture because we can make the synthesis in ambient temperatures. It also has the advantage that the technology can be scaled up more easily,” Margarita Poderyte says. No conflict with recycling During the development process, the researchers encountered concerns that their technology could undermine efforts to recycle plastic, which has been heavily invested in. That is not the case: it is complementary to recycling, not a competitor. “In principle, we could use new plastic for our method, but our target is PET plastic that is difficult to recycle because of low quality, colouration or mixed sources – or that has decomposed to such a degree that it’s no longer suitable for recycling,” Margarita Poderyte says. Co-author and Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Jiwoong Lee, highlights the material’s flexibility. “One of the impressive things about this material is that it stays effective for a long time. And flexible. It works efficiently from normal room temperature up to about 150 degrees Celsius. With this kind of tolerance to high temperatures, the material can be used at the end of industrial plants where the exhausts are typically hot,” Jiwoong Lee says. From laboratory to innovation at the end of the chimney With a potentially revolutionary idea, a proven method and an effective finished product, the researchers are now ready for the next step. “We see great potential for this material, not just in the lab, but in reallife industrial carbon capture plants. The next big step is scaling up to produce the material in tonnes, and we’re already working to attract investments and make our invention a financially sustainable business venture,” Margarita Poderyte says. The technical challenges do not worry the researchers. Instead, the decisive challenge, they say, is to persuade decision-makers to make the necessary investments. If they succeed in that, the invention could ultimately lead to significant changes. Economic incentive to cleanse the oceans The PET plastic that has been accumulating in the oceans, damaging ecosystems and breaking down into microplastics, is very well suited for the technology. “If we can get our hands on the highly decomposed PET plastic floating in the world’s oceans, it will be a valuable resource for us as it’s so well suited for upcycling with our method,” Margarita Poderyte says. “We’re not talking about stand-alone issues, nor will the solutions be. Our material can create a very concrete economic incentive to cleanse the oceans of plastic,” Jiwoong Lee says. The research paper is published in Science Advances journal, which describes the chemical process behind the invention. The process is claimed to be gentle compared to existing technologies and, at the same time, well-suited for industrial scaling. https://chem.ku.dk/news/2025/ scientists-transform-plastic-wasteinto-effi cient-co2-capture-materials/ DNC boosters Turnkey all-in-one system • Compact powerhouse with a footprint of only 2.35 m² ,QLWLDO SUHVVXUH XS WR EDU ² ÀQDO SUHVVXUH XS WR EDU • Plug and play: ready for immediate operation 3UHPLXP HˣFLHQF\ ,( PRWRU GHOLYHUV LPSUHVVLYH SHUIRUPDQFH DQG HQHUJ\ VDYLQJV • Sigma Control 2 controller: RSWLPXP HˣFLHQF\ DQG QHWZRUN FDSDELOLW\ ,QGXVWULH www.kaeser.com
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