Scientists Discover a Simple, Low-Energy Way to Recycle Acrylic Glass into Brand-New Material.
ETH Zurich researchers developed a method that uses one inexpensive reagent to break acrylic glass down into its building blocks at lower temperatures and without solvents, recovering up to 98% of the material.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a way to break down acrylic glass, also known by the brand name Plexiglas, almost entirely into its individual chemical building blocks. According to the university, the method needs no solvents and far less heat than earlier approaches. The team published its findings in the journal Nature Chemistry.
Acrylic glass is used worldwide in window panes, car tail lights and furniture, and it often ends up as waste even though it suits recycling. A team led by materials scientist Athina Anastasaki had earlier shown that the process, called depolymerisation, was possible, but only under specific conditions. Those earlier methods required chemically modifying the polymer chains, using large amounts of solvents or catalysts, or applying UV light.
The new method can recover up to 98% of the material as monomers, the researchers report. The recovered material is very pure even when the starting plastic contains dyes or impurities, and it can be used to make new polymers of the same quality as the original. Depolymerisation starts at just over 200 degrees Celsius, compared with the minimum of 400 degrees previously required. Pyrolysis-based recycling methods, by comparison, often yield monomers with impurity levels of up to 3%, according to ETH.
The method relies on a single commercially available, inexpensive compound from a class called N-hydroxyimides. It attacks the polymer chains and releases the monomers, and once it is added the reaction proceeds on its own. Anastasaki said her group was surprised that one chemical was enough. Colleagues Tae-Lim Choi and Gunnar Jeschke, both ETH chemistry professors, collaborated on the search for the reagent. Lead author Richard Whitfield said: "What makes our new approach so exciting is its simplicity."
ETH reports that the method could run on existing industry infrastructure and standard processes, which earlier approaches could not, and that the chemical industry has shown interest. The university has filed a patent application and is looking for licensees. The next steps are scaling up the process, studying the reaction mechanisms and searching for substances that speed up breakdown and raise the yield. The method works only with acrylic glass, and Anastasaki said the team will try to apply the same principle to polystyrene.
At a Glance
- The study appeared in Nature Chemistry in 2026, with Athina Anastasaki's ETH Zurich group behind it.
- Monomer yield can reach 98%, and the recovered material is pure enough to make new polymers of the original quality.
- Depolymerisation begins at just over 200 degrees Celsius, versus at least 400 degrees for earlier methods.
- One N-hydroxyimide reagent triggers the reaction, and no solvents are used.
- ETH Zurich has filed a patent application and is seeking licensees for the method.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.