FastCompany reports that researchers at the University of York have discovered they can recycle waste polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA), from old LCD televisions for medical purposes. The researchers believe that PVA a material used in polarizing films on the front and back of LCD displays can be transformed into pills, dressings, and even a substance used in tissue scaffolds to help body parts regenerate. PVA isn’t normally used in these applications, but the researchers have figured out that it doesn’t provoke an immune system response, so it could be used in any number of medical settings.
Recycle LCD panel parts
The process for recycling PVA is simple according to the article. The process for creating “expanded PVA” suitable for medical use, involves dousing the material in water, microwaving it, and then washing it in ethanol.
The research “Expanding the potential for waste polyvinyl-alcohol” can be found on the Green Chemistry website. The paper was written by five academics in the University’s Department of Chemistry. Professor James Clark, director of the York Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence and one of the authors of the research, told EurekaAlert. “It is important that we find ways of recycling as many elements of LCDs as possible so we don’t simply have to resort to burying and burning them.”
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.