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The Selective Dissolution Technique as Initial Step for Polystyrene Recycling

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Abstract

Expanded (EPS)or extruded (XPS) polystyrene are packaging or insulation materials with an increasing range of applications, so the enormous volume of wastes generated makes their recycling an urgent task. The general purpose of PS foams recycling is the recovery of a more compact polymer material with minimal degradation of the original polymer chains. In this way the shrinkage and further solubilisation with terpenic solvents can be one of the most efficient and cheap alternatives for the recycling of PS foams. In this work, molecular weight influence of PS, in the range between monomer (104.1 Da) and high molecular weight polymer (108 Da) has been evaluated, confirming experimentally (192,000–350,000 Da) that is not the most relevant variable unlike other polymer properties (cristallinity or polidispersity). Critical concentration and temperature have been calculated to establish the operation condition limits, and it was confirmed that at room temperature and at experimental maximum solubility, polymer precipitation does not carried out. Finally, PS pellets were applied to commercial samples (extruded and expanded polystyrene) obtaining similar results.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from Consejeria de Educacion y Ciencia (PBI06-0139. PBI08-0248-9341) Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Spain and Tecnove-Fiberglass is gratefully acknowledged. We also acknowledge Spanish MEPSYD to provide a FPU grant for the PhD student.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda, Camilo José Cela, 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Maria T. García, Ignacio Gracia & Antonio de Lucas

  2. Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Chemical and Environmental Technology (ITQUIMA), University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda, Camilo José Cela, 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Cristina Gutiérrez & Juan F. Rodríguez

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  1. Cristina Gutiérrez
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  2. Maria T. García
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  5. Juan F. Rodríguez
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Correspondence to Juan F. Rodríguez.

Glossary

Ω ∞1

Activity coefficient at infinite dilution

α12

Binary interaction parameter

ΔHm

Enthalpy of mixing

χ

Flory–Huggins interaction parameter

R

Ideal gas constant

LCST

Lower critical solution temperature

V

Molar volume

MW1

Molecular weight of the solvent

MW2

Molecular weight of the polymer

T

Temperature

UCST

Upper critical solution temperature

ϕ1

Volume fraction of the solvent

ϕ2

Volume fraction of the polymer

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Gutiérrez, C., García, M.T., Gracia, I. et al. The Selective Dissolution Technique as Initial Step for Polystyrene Recycling. Waste Biomass Valor 4, 29–36 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-012-9131-9

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