Soundwave recycling technology turns ‘forever chemicals’ into renewable resources

A new technique that uses soundwaves to separate materials for recycling could help prevent potentially harmful chemicals leaching into the environment.

Researchers at the University of Leicester have achieved a major milestone in fuel cell recycling, advancing techniques to efficiently separate valuable catalyst materials and fluorinated polymer membranes (PFAS) from catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs).

This development addresses critical environmental challenges posed by PFAS—often referred to as “forever chemicals”—which are known to contaminate drinking water and have serious health implications.