Recycling individual polymers from mixed plastics wastes

Technical Report · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7307058

Naumann, E B

Under the sponsorship of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (the Energy Authority) and the Plastics Recycling Foundation (PRF), we examined the feasibility of separating pure polymers from a mixed plastic waste stream. The feasibility study used two technologies, selective dissolution and flash devolatilization. Commingled plastics containing the six major packaging plastics were selected as a feedstock. The preliminary work focused on selecting a dissolution solvent to obtain a six-way split of the major packaging plastics. Technical grade xylene (mixed isomers) was found to selectively dissolve five of the polymers at reasonable operating conditions; and the sixth was obtained by difference, by dissolution with a second solvent, or by dissolution at high temperature. Dissolution studies were done on simulated commingled waste streams prepared from virgin polymers and a post-consumer commingled waste stream. Process conditions and separation efficiencies were obtained. The minimum dissolution scale to obtain polymer physical properties was determined to be on the order of 25 kilograms per charge of commingled plastics. It was concluded that selective dissolution and flash devolatilization can be used to separate functionally pure polymers from a commingled waste stream. Further research and development is needed to optimize the process and obtain polymer physical properties.

• Research Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• Sponsoring Organization: NYSERDA; New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7307058
• Report Number(s): NYSERDA-92-5; ON: TI92018925
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
DEVOLATILIZATION
DISSOLUTION
DOCUMENT TYPES
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
MATERIALS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLYMERS
PROGRESS REPORT
RECYCLING
SOLVENTS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
WASTES