Polypropylene Recovery From Medical Mask Waste by Recrystallization Method and its Economic Analysis Viability

ABSTRACT

The growing public awareness of healthcare and the prevention of airborne diseases has led to a significant increase in the consumption of medical masks. The extensive use of medical masks has consequently escalated waste generation and associated environmental concerns. These masks are predominantly composed of polypropylene (PP), a non‐biodegradable polymer. Therefore, recycling medical masks represents a viable strategy to mitigate environmental impacts. This study aims to recover polypropylene (PP) from used face masks through a recrystallization method by varying the anti‐solvents, ethanol, and methanol. In addition, a techno‐economic feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the economic potential and practicality of the proposed recovery process. The findings indicate that ethanol was excellent in attaining a recovery efficiency of 94.40 ± 0.03%. Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) analysis validated the presence of characteristic functional groups of isotactic polypropylene (PP), alongside differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, which corresponded with the characteristics of pure PP. The techno‐economic assessment indicates strong feasibility for process scale‐up. These findings emphasize that ethanol‐based recrystallization not only ensures the quality of recovered PP but also supports the development of a sustainable and economically viable recycling strategy to address the growing issue of medical mask waste.