Microwave-assisted Depolymerization of Polymeric Materials

Abstract

Polymers have played a vital role in the growth and development of human life. Due to their unique properties, polymer production and consumption have skyrocketed. At the same time, they have been a major source of environmental pollution due to their limited degradability, recyclability, and long life span. Over the decades, many recycling and upcycling approaches have been proposed and exercised for depolymerization. These approaches have undergone continuous evaluation and upgradation. However, the majority of them are environmentally unfriendly and economically unsustainable. Microwave-assisted depolymerization is one of the potential approaches that can address both the issues. Due to site-specific heating, microwave pyrolysis has an inherent advantage over other conventional thermal technologies. Additionally, the usage of a metal catalyst in the depolymerization process not only ensures complete degradation but also leads to the production of selective high-value products. With the use of a specific catalyst, high-yield and highly selective products can be achieved. This chapter mainly focuses on microwave technology for polymer degradation along with a discussion of recent studies in this field.