Medical face mask waste recycles by sustainable precipitation method

¹ Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), KST BJ Habibie, South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, 15314
² Research Center for Polymer Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), KST BJ Habibie, South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, 15314
³ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Pondok Cina, Depok, West Java, 16424
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Pondok Cina, Depok, West Java, 16424

^* Corresponding author: septiyantim@gmail.com

Abstract

Wearing mask properly is one of the health protocols since the novel Corona virus COVID-19 out brake. Yet, this extensive use of face mask might increase infectious waste which has potential to harm public health and environment. In order to prevent this problem, action for mask waste recycling is needed. Precipitation is a technique used to purify polymer thus the recycled face mask can produce polymer with higher purity compared to thermal process. This study aimed to recycle face mask waste through precipitation process comparing two solvents toluene and xylene, face mask concentration in solvent was varied 0.5%, 1% and 5%. The yield of polypropylene obtained from toluene solvent was 94% and xylene 96%. The chemical functional group showed the characteristic of polypropylene in wavelength at 2873 cm⁻¹, 1455 cm⁻¹, 1374 cm⁻¹, the melting point ranged 160-162°C, the crystallization degree ranged 30-60%, which resembles pure isotactic polypropylene was successfully extracted from the mask medical waste. The solvent mixture from the mas precipitation process could be recovered by 80% for methanol and 40% for xylene. The pure solvent obtained could be reused for the next process thus maintaining its sustainability.