Troy University’s Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences, Troy, Alabama, plans to research ways to recycle medical plastic scrap as well as ways to bolster production of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for health care workers.
According to a news release from Troy University, the ongoing coronavirus crisis has put into focus the need for increased production of PPE for medical professionals. Govind Menon, director of the Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences, says Troy researchers are looking at new ways to produce PPE from polymers as a means to increase production and help prepare for future threats.
“The current pandemic has shown the crucial need to increase the nation’s production capacity in regards protective equipment for our medical professionals,” Menon says. “At Troy, we are committing to researching new methods for producing polymer-based PPEs in preparation for future medical threats.”
In addition, the center has started research into methods for recycling medical plastics. Menon says a lot of medical plastic scrap ends up in landfills or incinerators. The center is researching methods to recycle that scrap for nonmedical uses.
“Medical plastics are high-quality virgin plastics that are being incinerated for fear of contamination,” he says. “We believe it’s possible to recycle this plastic and remove any threat of contamination to create useful, high-grade plastics for nonmedical uses. This would be a huge reduction in waste.”
Founded in 2018 with support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that’s based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Troy’s Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences is a fully integrated multidisciplinary research facility focusing on research into polymers and polymer recycling.