Research
Research
Since plastic has become indispensable in both industry and daily life, plastic waste has become a global concern that must be addressed. One approach to managing this issue is recycling.
The conventional recycling method involving melting and reshaping of plastic waste often results in low-quality products [1]. A more effective way to produce high-quality recycled plastic is to cleave polymer chains to recover the original monomers, which can then be used to synthesize new plastic materials. This process is typically achieved through high-temperature pyrolysis. However, pyrolysis suffers from low selectivity due to the extreme temperatures required [2].
In this project, mechanical forces are used instead of heat by employing ball milling with catalytically modified balls. This method has proven efficient on a laboratory scale [3, 4] (a few grams) and is being upscaled in this Demonstrator project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to the kilogram scale.
I first graduated from the Engineering School in Material Science (Master level equivalent). Then, I obtained a PhD in Chemistry and Physico-chemistry of materials in the “Institut Mines Telecom” in France. My research was based on the recycling of ABS waste from electrical and electronic equipment using the conventional method. To continue in the field of recycling, I started a Post Doctoral contract at UU in the ICC section.
- K. Ragaert, L. Delva et V. G. K. , «Mechanical and chemical recycling of solid plastic waste,» Waste Management, 69, 24 – 58, 2017.
- I. Vollmer, M. J. F. Jenks, M. C. P. Roelands, R. J. White, T. van Harmelen, P. de Wild, G. P. van der Laan, F. Meirer, J. T. Keurentjes et B. M. Weckhuysen, «Beyond Mechanical Recycling: Giving New Life to Plastic Waste,» Angew. Chem. Int. Ed, vol. 59, 15402 – 15423, 2020.
- A. H. Hergesell, C. L. Seitzinger, J. Burg et R. J. Baarslag, «Influence of ball milling parameters on the mechano-chemical conversion of polyolefins,» RSC Mechanochemistry, 2024.
- A. H. Hergesell, R. J. Baarslag, C. L. Seitzinger, R. Meena, P. Schara, Z. Tomovic, G. Li, B. M. Weckhuysen et I. Vollmer, «Surface-Activated Mechano-Catalysis for Ambient Conversion of Plastic Waste,» Journal of the American Chemical Society, 26139−26147, 2024.
CV
CV
2016-2021: Engineering school “Polytech” specialized in Materials Sciences – Nantes and Paris, France
2021-2024: PhD in Chemistry and Physico Chemistry – Alès
Thesis title “Development and formulation of high performance recycled ABS plastics from triboelectrically separated polymers”