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Deodorization of Recycled HDPE: Comparative Assessment of Washing and Solvent-Based Purification Strategies with a Techno-Economic Analysis.

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Title: Deodorization of Recycled HDPE: Comparative Assessment of Washing and Solvent-Based Purification Strategies with a Techno-Economic Analysis.
Authors: Blanco, Aymara1,2 (AUTHOR), Feyzi, Vafa2,3 (AUTHOR), Juan, Rafael1,2,3 (AUTHOR), Paredes, Beatriz1,2,4 (AUTHOR), Domínguez, Carlos1,2 (AUTHOR), Dufour, Javier2,3 (AUTHOR), García-Muñoz, Rafael A.1,2,3,4 (AUTHOR) rafael.garcia@urjc.es
Source: Polymers (20734360). Jun2026, Vol. 18 Issue 12, p1441. 18p.
Subjects: Deodorization, High density polyethylene, Solvent extraction, Cost benefit analysis, Chemical purification, Plastic recycling, Decontamination (From gases, chemicals, etc.)
Abstract: Residual volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and non-intentionally added substances (NIASs) limit the reuse of post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) in high-value applications because they generate persistent odors and may compromise product quality and regulatory acceptance. This work comparatively assesses five deodorization and purification routes for rHDPE: agitation washing, ultrasound-assisted washing, reflux heating, Soxhlet extraction, and dissolution/precipitation, by combining VOC removal performance, material characterization, and techno-economic evaluation. Ultrasound-assisted washing with SDS achieved ~96% total VOC removal, while reflux heating resulted in near-complete removal (~98%), approaching the analytical detection limit. Soxhlet extraction with ethanol reached 94% after 1 h, and the dissolution/precipitation method provided near-complete purification and removed additional impurities, but at the expense of substantially higher process complexity and cost. Mechanical and physicochemical characterization indicated that the evaluated treatments did not appreciably compromise the measured properties of the recycled polymer. In addition, equilibrium screening with representative analytes in ethanol provided qualitative support for the solvent–polymer interaction discussion. A plant-scale techno-economic assessment identified ultrasound-assisted SDS washing as the most attractive option, offering the best balance between deodorization efficiency, process simplicity, and cost. Overall, the results provide a practical basis for selecting scalable decontamination strategies to upgrade rHDPE quality and expand its use in circular plastic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Polymers (20734360) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Deodorization of Recycled HDPE: Comparative Assessment of Washing and Solvent-Based Purification Strategies with a Techno-Economic Analysis.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Polymers+%2820734360%29%22">Polymers (20734360)</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 18 Issue 12, p1441. 18p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Deodorization%22">Deodorization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+density+polyethylene%22">High density polyethylene</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Solvent+extraction%22">Solvent extraction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cost+benefit+analysis%22">Cost benefit analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chemical+purification%22">Chemical purification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plastic+recycling%22">Plastic recycling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decontamination+%28From+gases%2C+chemicals%2C+etc%2E%29%22">Decontamination (From gases, chemicals, etc.)</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Residual volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and non-intentionally added substances (NIASs) limit the reuse of post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) in high-value applications because they generate persistent odors and may compromise product quality and regulatory acceptance. This work comparatively assesses five deodorization and purification routes for rHDPE: agitation washing, ultrasound-assisted washing, reflux heating, Soxhlet extraction, and dissolution/precipitation, by combining VOC removal performance, material characterization, and techno-economic evaluation. Ultrasound-assisted washing with SDS achieved ~96% total VOC removal, while reflux heating resulted in near-complete removal (~98%), approaching the analytical detection limit. Soxhlet extraction with ethanol reached 94% after 1 h, and the dissolution/precipitation method provided near-complete purification and removed additional impurities, but at the expense of substantially higher process complexity and cost. Mechanical and physicochemical characterization indicated that the evaluated treatments did not appreciably compromise the measured properties of the recycled polymer. In addition, equilibrium screening with representative analytes in ethanol provided qualitative support for the solvent–polymer interaction discussion. A plant-scale techno-economic assessment identified ultrasound-assisted SDS washing as the most attractive option, offering the best balance between deodorization efficiency, process simplicity, and cost. Overall, the results provide a practical basis for selecting scalable decontamination strategies to upgrade rHDPE quality and expand its use in circular plastic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Polymers (20734360) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3390/polym18121441
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Deodorization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High density polyethylene
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      – SubjectFull: Solvent extraction
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      – SubjectFull: Cost benefit analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Chemical purification
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      – SubjectFull: Plastic recycling
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      – SubjectFull: Decontamination (From gases, chemicals, etc.)
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              Text: Jun2026
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