(image: Pixabay)
DAEJEON, Oct. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources said Wednesday its researchers had developed a new recycling process for waste coffee capsules.
The research team crushed and washed waste coffee capsules composed of plastics (97.3 percent) and aluminum (2.7 percent) to remove coffee residue.
With a secondary crushing process resulting in 10-millimeter pieces of waste, the research team was able to separate out conductive aluminum and non-conductive plastics.
After withdrawing 98.3 percent of the plastics contained in the waste coffee capsules, the research team turned them into pellets. The property analysis of the pellets detected no harmful materials.
Since they have similar properties to homo polypropylene, which is used for general daily necessities, the pellets can be used as a recycled propylene.
“Since the pellets contain no harmful materials, they can be recycled for use in various daily necessities in the areas of home electronics and construction,” said Dr. Jeon Ho-seok, who was part of the research team.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
