Every year, over 100 billion nitrile rubber gloves are produced globally, primarily for the healthcare sector. These gloves, made from synthetic polymers derived from crude oil, are typically discarded after a single use, contributing significantly to global waste. However, a groundbreaking study led by Simon Kildahl, a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University’s Department of Chemistry, offers a promising solution. Published in the journal CHEM, the study demonstrates a method to recycle these gloves into a carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorbent, potentially revolutionizing waste management and carbon capture technologies.
Simon Kildahl explains the significance of this innovation:
“A plastic bottle can be recycled relatively easily, as we know from deposit-return systems. But other plastic materials are problematic because they cannot be reused in the same way. Therefore, they often end up being burned, which is currently the case for rubber gloves.”
By converting the gloves into a CO2 capture material, the study aims to reduce the environmental impact of incineration, which releases CO2 and other harmful gases.
Major Breakthroughs in Recycling
Kildahl is part of the Skydstrup Group under the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (CORC), a global collaboration headquartered at Aarhus University. The center focuses on capturing CO2 or converting it into products like fuel through Power-to-X technology. The group has previously succeeded in recycling challenging materials such as polyurethane foam from mattresses and epoxy from wind turbine blades. Now, they have turned their attention to rubber gloves.
According to Kildahl, the process involves shredding the rubber gloves and reacting them with a ruthenium-based catalyst and hydrogen gas, enabling them to capture CO2 from simulated flue gas.
“In the real world, this could potentially take place at a power plant,”
he explains. When heated, the material releases the captured CO2, which can then be stored underground or used in Power-to-X processes, while the material itself is refreshed for reuse.
Revolutionary Perspectives on CO2 Capture
This innovative method stands out because it utilizes waste materials that would otherwise be burned or landfilled. The approach aligns with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) goals of removing 5–16 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by 2050. Current CO2 capture methods often require increased oil-based production, which undermines their climate benefits.
Kildahl highlights the advantages of using waste materials:
“That is why it is smart to utilize a waste material available in such large quantities, rather than extracting more oil from the ground. With the rubber glove, we can create a CO2 capture material where almost every atom in the product comes from waste, except for a small amount of hydrogen, which can ideally be obtained from water via Power-to-X.”
Promising Results and Future Prospects
Currently, the research is at the laboratory stage, with the goal of making the process scalable and economically viable. Kildahl is optimistic about reaching this goal, noting that the research is at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 or 4, on a scale where 9 represents fully implemented commercial technology.
“We are working on a gram scale right now, and reactions can look and behave differently when we scale up to kilograms. But our results look very promising,”
Kildahl states. The process also needs to become more cost-effective, as the catalyst currently used is expensive. However, the team has achieved a ‘proof of concept,’ and Kildahl believes they can reach TRL 5 or 6 in the near future by improving scalability, economic viability, and performance parameters for CO2 capture.
This development represents a significant step forward in sustainable waste management and climate change mitigation. As the research progresses, it holds the potential to transform how we approach both waste recycling and carbon capture, offering a new avenue for reducing industrial emissions and environmental impact.
