Researchers at IIT Hyderabad develop way to recycle polystyrene
A new process can dissolve the polystyrene foam thermocol almost instantly without the need for heat, say scientists at IIT Hyderabad. Using orange peel extract, the researchers, led by Professor Chandra Shekhar Sharma from the Department of Chemical Engineering, found that the citrus extract could almost instantly dissolve the thermocol, which was then drawn into fibres. Thermocol usually takes centuries to dissolve; however, the scientists said the new method was a way to extend the lifecycle of thermocol rather than to make it biodegradable.
In India, researchers at IIT Hyderabad have discovered a way to recycle the common polystyrene foam thermocol using citrus extract from orange peels.

Citrus extract was found to dissolve thermocol—which otherwise takes hundreds of years to biodegrade—almost instantly without added heat. The dissolved polystyrene is then drawn into fibers via wet-solution spinning.

The project is being led by Professor Chandra Shekhar Sharma from the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Hyderabad and has received financial support from the Technology Development Board, Department of Science and Technology.

“Using the orange peel extract to dissolve polystyrene will not change the chemical composition, and so will not make polystyrene into a biodegradable product. What this process does is to extend the use and life cycle of polystyrene waste material,” says Professor Sharma tells The Hindu.

Only 12% of polystyrene waste gets recycled currently, and citrus peel waste is plentiful. A pilot-scale machine to demonstrate the process is currently being built.

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