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> Everything else is extremely common in nature- lithium is present in every water supply since it's a natural component of salt. Carbon is obviously everywhere
by ant6n 8y ago
> Everything else is extremely common in nature- lithium is present in every water supply since it's a natural component of salt. Carbon is obviously everywhere, even in elemental forms.
The problem with carbon is not the element, but the molecules. Plastic is largely made of carbon, but doesn't belong in nature.
- hwillis 8y agoThe "pyrolytic" (incineration + electrolysis) process just leaves elemental carbon. Shredding obviously varies. I believe the plastics are usually burnt, but I'm not sure what happens to the other carbon compounds- they're fairly simple things (eg ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate), both of which break down in nature relatively quickly. I'm not sure what the timeline on biodegradeability is, but for comparison ethylene glycol (which is a bit simpler, but similar) breaks down in ten days according to wikipedia. It seems to me like it'd be easier to burn them off rather than skimming them after electrolysis, but I don't want to assume.