Themes
  • Plastic
  • Recycling
Amount granted
$15,000

Description

Plastic consumption has increased due to its convenience, versatility, and cost-effectiveness, but it has also led to a significant increase in plastic waste. The diverse range of plastic colors, particularly black ones, presents challenges in sorting efficiently, leading to unrecyclable mixed plastic waste and lower economic value. Near-Infrared spectroscopy struggles with black plastics due to their strong light absorption.

The main goal of this discovery project is to assess the feasibility and potential benefits of using continuous wave terahertz (THz) technology for characterizing and sorting recycled black plastics. This project aligns with RRECQ's objectives of enhancing plastic recycling and promoting the circular economy, prioritizing environmental preservation and contributes valuable insights to the scientific community and the recycling sector, advancing THz technology's use in sustainable recycling practices and improving plastic recycling efficiency.

Affiliated research axes

Axis 2: Planning Optimization

2.1 – Support the development and use of tools to analyze and monitor the circular economy
2.2 – Develop indicators to measure circularity

Member(s)

  • Mariia Zhuldybina

    Ph.D., MS Institutional researcher
  • Emna Helal

    Ph.D. Institutional Researcher

Collaborators

Jonathan Bois

Student at ÉTS
The RRECQ is supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec.
Fonds de recherche - Québec