Solvent-Assisted Poly(lactic acid) Upcycling under Mild Conditions

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biosourced green plastic derived from natural sources that can replace polyolefins in many applications; however, it seldom recycled. PLA prime candidate for chemical recycling by depolymerization, which produces valuable commodity chemicals and/or fresh monomer new production, compared to mechanical/thermal reprocessing lesser-quality resin. A scalable, low-cost depolymerization process could render the premier choice designed-to-be-recycled products future circular plastics economy. Here, we report novel of under mild conditions using alcoholysis with ionic liquid catalysts presence dimethyl (or diethyl) carbonate as solvent, along critical technoeconomic analysis potential impact this process. The effects catalyst structures, solvent system, and resin type on conversion yield were studied. reaction kinetics statistically analyzed experimental modeling data, suggesting fast first-order degradation. Predictive results based empirical data further guide design scenarios practical application.