Pigment removal from reverse-printed laminated flexible films by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation

Yan, Tianwei; Granger, Charles; Sánchez-Rivera, Kevin L.; Zhou, Panzheng; Grey, Steven; Nelson, Kevin; Long, Fei; Bar-Ziv, Ezra; Van Lehn, Reid C.; Avraamidou, Styliani; Huber, George W.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.adt5841

Pigment removal from reverse-printed laminated flexible films by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation

Journal Article · Fri Mar 14 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Science Advances

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt5841· OSTI ID:2558150

^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[2]; Nelson, Kevin ^[2]; ^[3]; Bar-Ziv, Ezra ^[3]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]

Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Amcor, Neenah, WI (United States)
Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)

The solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation (STRAP) process separates and recovers the constituent resins in multilayer plastic packaging films by selective polymer dissolution. In this work, the cause of coloring in the STRAP-recycled polyethylene (PE) resins from postindustrial printed films was identified as decomposed diarylide pigments. Two different approaches are needed to completely remove the dissolved colorants during the STRAP process including (i) adding an activated carbon (AC) adsorbent to the solvent after polymer dissolution and (ii) proper mechanical filtration of the polymer-solvent cake to remove as much solvent from the cake as possible. Colorless recycled PE can be produced by a combination of the proposed approaches (choosing the proper solvent, adding an AC adsorbent, and doing proper mechanical filtration) with minimal accumulation of colorants in the recycled STRAP solvents. This study demonstrated that high-quality STRAP low-density PE can be obtained from printed plastic films, enhancing the potential circularity of these packaging materials.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0009285; EE0010294

OSTI ID:: 2558150

Journal Information:: Science Advances, Journal Name: Science Advances Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 11; ISSN 2375-2548

Publisher:: AAASCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (42)

Fast solvent screening via quantum chemistry: COSMO-RS approach Eckert, Frank; Klamt, Andreas AIChE Journal, Vol. 48, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.690480220	journal	February 2002
Complementary colors: A literature review Pridmore, Ralph W. Color Research & Application, Vol. 46, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/col.22576	journal	September 2020
Reducing Antisolvent Use in the STRAP Process by Enabling a Temperature‐Controlled Polymer Dissolution and Precipitation for the Recycling of Multilayer Plastic Films Sánchez‐Rivera, Kevin L.; Zhou, Panzheng; Kim, Min Soo ChemSusChem, Vol. 14, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202101128	journal	September 2021
Computational Approach for Rapidly Predicting Temperature‐Dependent Polymer Solubilities Using Molecular‐Scale Models Zhou, Panzheng; Sánchez‐Rivera, Kevin L.; Huber, George W. ChemSusChem, Vol. 14, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202101137	journal	July 2021
Prediction of aqueous solubility of drugs and pesticides with COSMO-RS Klamt, Andreas; Eckert, Frank; Hornig, Martin Journal of Computational Chemistry, Vol. 23, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/jcc.1168	journal	January 2002
Mechanical Recycling of Packaging Plastics: A Review Schyns, Zoé O. G.; Shaver, Michael P. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol. 42, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202000415	journal	September 2020
Dyes and Pigments: Their Structure and Properties Gürses, Ahmet; Açıkyıldız, Metin; Güneş, Kübra SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33892-7_2	book	January 2016
Application Research for the Printing Process of Spot Color on the Product Packaging Fang, Enyin; Zhang, Chuan; Yang, Shengwei Innovative Technologies for Printing and Packaging https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9024-3_10	book	January 2023
Degradation of aged nitrocellulose investigated by thermal analysis and chemiluminescence Rychlý, Jozef; Lattuati-Derieux, Agnes; Matisová-Rychlá, Lyda Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, Vol. 107, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-011-1746-8	journal	June 2011
Characterisation of the species responsible for yellowing in melt degraded aromatic polyesters—I: Yellowing of poly(ethylene terephthalate) Edge, M.; Wiles, R.; Allen, N. S. Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 53, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0141-3910(96)00081-X	journal	August 1996
Pigment decomposition in polymers in applications at elevated temperatures Az, R. Dyes and Pigments, Vol. 15, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/0143-7208(91)87001-4	journal	January 1991
A ten year review of plastics recycling Howell, S. Garry Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 29, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3894(92)85066-A	journal	January 1992
Additives in Polymers Ambrogi, V.; Carfagna, C.; Cerruti, P. Modification of Polymer Properties https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-44353-1.00004-X	book	January 2017
Discoloration of polymers by phenolic antioxidants Pospı́šil, J.; Habicher, W. -D.; Pilař, J. Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 77, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0141-3910(02)00112-X	journal	January 2002
Suppressing aggregation of quinacridone pigment and improving its color strength by using chitosan nanofibers Saito, Yasuko; Iwamoto, Shinichiro; Tanaka, Yuki Carbohydrate Polymers, Vol. 255 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117365	journal	March 2021
Effect of catalyst type on recyclability and decomposition mechanism of poly(ethylene furanoate) biobased polyester Terzopoulou, Zoe; Karakatsianopoulou, Elisavet; Kasmi, Nejib Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, Vol. 126 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2017.05.010	journal	July 2017
Consumer preferences for recycled plastics: Observations from a citizen survey Ruokamo, Enni; Räisänen, Milja; Kauppi, Sari Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 379 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134720	journal	December 2022
Understanding the complexity of deinking plastic waste: An assessment of the efficiency of different treatments to remove ink resins from printed plastic film Ügdüler, Sibel; Van Laere, Tine; De Somer, Tobias Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 452 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131239	journal	June 2023
Mechanical recycling of printed flexible plastic packaging: The role of binders and pigments Lisiecki, M.; Belé, Tiago G. A.; Ügdüler, S. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 472 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134375	journal	July 2024
IR-change and yellowing of polyurethane as a result of UV irradiation Rosu, Dan; Rosu, Liliana; Cascaval, Constantin N. Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 94, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2009.01.013	journal	April 2009
Recycling of a post-industrial printed multilayer plastic film containing polyurethane inks by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation Sánchez-Rivera, Kevin L.; Munguía-López, Aurora del Carmen; Zhou, Panzheng Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Vol. 197 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107086	journal	October 2023
Adsorption modeling for contaminant removal in plastic dissolution recycling: Investigating an amino ketone-based red dye Van Melkebeke, Michiel; De Somer, Tobias; Van Laere, Tine Separation and Purification Technology, Vol. 331 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2023.125559	journal	March 2024
Target and Nontarget Screening of Organic Chemicals and Metals in Recycled Plastic Materials Chibwe, Leah; De Silva, Amila O.; Spencer, Christine Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 57, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c07254	journal	February 2023
Why is Recycling of Postconsumer Plastics so Challenging? Vogt, Bryan D.; Stokes, Kristoffer K.; Kumar, Sanat K. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Vol. 3, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.1c00648	journal	August 2021
Could Superficial Chiral Nanostructures Be the Reason Polyethylene Yellows as It Ages? Elmer-Dixon, Margaret M.; Fawcett, Liam P.; Hinderliter, Brian R. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Vol. 4, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.2c00877	journal	August 2022
Cast Film Production with Polyethylene Recycled from a Post-Industrial Printed Multilayer Film by Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation Sánchez-Rivera, Kevin L.; Granger, Charles; Appiah, Harrison ACS Materials Letters, Vol. 6, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialslett.4c01048	journal	August 2024
Technical, Economic, and Environmental Comparison of Closed-Loop Recycling Technologies for Common Plastics Uekert, Taylor; Singh, Avantika; DesVeaux, Jason S. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Vol. 11, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c05497	journal	January 2023
Density and Molar Volume Predictions Using COSMO-RS for Ionic Liquids. An Approach to Solvent Design Palomar, José; Ferro, Víctor R.; Torrecilla, José S. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 46, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1021/ie070445x	journal	August 2007
Conductor-like Screening Model for Real Solvents: A New Approach to the Quantitative Calculation of Solvation Phenomena Klamt, Andreas The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 99, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1021/j100007a062	journal	February 1995
Sustainability of Synthetic Plastics: Considerations in Materials Life-Cycle Management Epps, Thomas H.; Korley, LaShanda T. J.; Yan, Tianwei JACS Au, Vol. 2, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.1c00191	journal	December 2021
Refinement and Parametrization of COSMO-RS Klamt, Andreas; Jonas, Volker; Bürger, Thorsten The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol. 102, Issue 26 https://doi.org/10.1021/jp980017s	journal	June 1998
Predictive screening of ionic liquids for dissolving cellulose and experimental verification Liu, Yan-Rong; Thomsen, Kaj; Nie, Yi Green Chemistry, Vol. 18, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1039/C6GC01827K	journal	January 2016
Expanding plastics recycling technologies: chemical aspects, technology status and challenges Li, Houqian; Aguirre-Villegas, Horacio A.; Allen, Robert D. Green Chemistry, Vol. 24, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1039/D2GC02588D	journal	January 2022
Quantifying the environmental benefits of a solvent-based separation process for multilayer plastic films Munguía-López, Aurora del Carmen; Göreke, Dilara; Sánchez-Rivera, Kevin L. Green Chemistry, Vol. 25, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1039/D2GC04262B	journal	January 2023
High-purity Polypropylene from Disposable Face Masks via Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation Yu, Jiuling; Munguía-López, Aurora del Carmen; Cecon, Victor S. Green Chemistry https://doi.org/10.1039/D3GC00205E	journal	January 2023
Circularity in polymers: addressing performance and sustainability challenges using dynamic covalent chemistries Yan, Tianwei; Balzer, Alex H.; Herbert, Katie M. Chemical Science, Vol. 14, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SC00551H	journal	January 2023
Aging affects the mechanical interaction between microplastics and lipid bilayers Fleury, Jean-Baptiste; Baulin, Vladimir A. The Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 161, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0232678	journal	October 2024
Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made Geyer, Roland; Jambeck, Jenna R.; Law, Kara Lavender Science Advances, Vol. 3, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782	journal	July 2017
Recycling of multilayer plastic packaging materials by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation Walker, Theodore W.; Frelka, Nathan; Shen, Zhizhang Science Advances, Vol. 6, Issue 47 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aba7599	journal	November 2020
Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean Jambeck, J. R.; Geyer, R.; Wilcox, C. Science, Vol. 347, Issue 6223 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260352	journal	February 2015
A Review of the Classes, Structures, and Methods of Analysis of Synthetic Organic Pigments Lomax, Suzanne Quillen; Learner, Tom Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, Vol. 45, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1179/019713606806112540	journal	January 2006
Pretreatment of Plastic Waste: Removal of Colorants from HDPE Using Biosolvents Ferreira, Ana M.; Sucena, Isa; Otero, Vanessa Molecules, Vol. 27, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010098	journal	December 2021

Similar Records

Cast Film Production with Polyethylene Recycled from a Post-Industrial Printed Multilayer Film by Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation

Journal Article · Wed Jul 31 20:00:00 EDT 2024 · ACS Materials Letters · OSTI ID:2479256

Recycling of a post-industrial printed multilayer plastic film containing polyurethane inks by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation

Journal Article · Wed Jun 14 20:00:00 EDT 2023 · Resources, Conservation and Recycling · OSTI ID:2475634

Recycling of multilayer plastic packaging materials by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation

Journal Article · Thu Nov 19 19:00:00 EST 2020 · Science Advances · OSTI ID:1764997

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Pigment removal from reverse-printed laminated flexible films by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation

Citation Formats

References (42)

Similar Records

Related Subjects