Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in recycling by discovering a method to convert Teflon into beneficial fluoride products. This innovative process has the potential to transform a durable plastic into materials that are more environmentally friendly and safer for human health.
A team from Newcastle University and the University of Birmingham has developed an energy-efficient technique that utilizes sodium metal at room temperature to treat polytetrafluoroethylene, commonly known as Teflon. This method circumvents the need for expensive high-temperature processes typically associated with recycling Teflon.
By breaking the carbon-fluorine bonds found in Teflon, the researchers are able to produce sodium fluoride. This compound can serve as a safe additive in products such as toothpaste and drinking water, promoting dental health.
The process introduces a novel approach to recycling polytetrafluoroethylene, which is widely used in items like cookware and lubricants due to its heat resistance and chemical stability. However, these same properties make Teflon a persistent environmental contaminant when discarded in landfills.
“Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Teflon are produced globally each year — it”s used in everything from lubricants to coatings on cookware, and currently there are very few ways to get rid of it,” stated corresponding author Dr. Roly Armstrong in a press release. “As those products reach the end of their lives, they typically end up in landfills — but this process allows us to extract the fluorine and upcycle it into valuable new materials.”
The researchers also noted that the fluorine recovered through this new method could have various applications, including in dental care products and potentially in pharmaceuticals or other chemical manufacturing sectors. Their findings have been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
