Queensland researchers have developed a process to turn toxic discarded disposable masks into components for smartphones.
Working with colleagues in China, a team from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) have discovered a groundbreaking and cost-effective upcycling strategy that offered promising environmental and economic benefits.
Senior researcher and study co-author Pingan Song said, over the past four years, more than 950 billion masks, equivalent to about 3.8 million tonnes, had been discarded worldwide.
Professor Song said most ended up in landfills or were incinerated.
“Incinerating waste masks release toxic gases such as dioxins and furans, causing air pollution, while landfilled masks not only take hundreds of years to degrade fully, but often generate large amounts of microplastics that cause long-term pollution of water sources, soil and food chains,” he said.
“Single-use face masks – most of which are not recyclable – remain widely used, especially in laboratories, hospitals and other healthcare settings.”
Professor Song said the team developed a new technique to extend the life of polypropylene materials from discarded masks by breaking them down and repurposing them into valuable components for use in electronic devices such as smartphones and LED lights.
He said team investigated the thermal conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties of nanocomposites derived from recycled polypropylene-based waste masks, utilising a surface treatment and hot-pressing process that converts the masks into functional films.
“The study found that the regenerated nanocomposites exhibit metal-like thermal conductivity and effective EMI shielding, offering potential to help cool electronic devices and shield against electromagnetic signals.
“This research presents a novel upcycling method that tackles pollution from discarded masks while converting them into low-cost yet high-value nanocomposite products.”
Professor Song said it offered industries an affordable, high-performance solution for developing advanced heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding materials and opened new economic opportunities in electronics and recycling.
Read the full study: Highly Thermal Conductive and Electromagnetic Shielding Polymer Nanocomposites from Waste Masks.
