Topic: Separate, Deconstruct, Upgrade: Solvent-based Recycling of Multilayer and Mixed Plastics
Speaker: Prof.Wan-Ting Chen  

Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell 

Event Details:
Date: February 26th, 2026 

Time: 15:00 p.m. 

Venue: 2F, Ching Lang Lecture Hall, Tseng Chiang Hall (鄭江樓), National Taiwan University (NTU) 

Abstract:
Complex plastic wastes, such as multi-layer packaging and mixed plastics, are often incompatible with conventional mechanical recycling due to immiscible polymers and additives that are difficult to separate.In this talk, Prof. Chen will highlight three innovative chemical solutions being pursued by her research group: 

Solvent Dissolution & Precipitation: Selectively extracting target polymers while removing additives and maintaining polymer quality.
Chemolysis: Deconstructing polymers into valuable monomers or functional intermediates for manufacturing supply chains.
Hydrothermal Processing: Leveraging water’s unique reactivity near its critical point to convert mixed plastics into oil-like products. 
The presentation will conclude with a comparison of embodied energy and greenhouse-gas emissions across these routes to clarify the most environmentally and economically compelling approaches. 

Organizer & Contact: 

Convenor: POLYSUS Lab, National Taiwan University  

Contact Person: Tzu-Yi Kao  

Telephone: +886-2-3366-2589 

Email: kaotzuyi@ntu.edu.tw