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Novel Recycling System of Polystyrene Water Debris with Polymer Photocatalyst and Thermal Treatment

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Abstract

A poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid) containing TiO2 gel (PS-b-PAA/TiO2) polymer photocatalyst had the same density as PS and could provoke photocatalytic activity to PS particles in water. It showed photocatalytic activity to a PS containing a N–H type hindered amine light stabilizer (PS/LA-77) in water under the UV irradiation. The molecular weight decrease was ca. 10%, showing that a weaker light source and different kind of hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) should be employed. The phthalocyanine modified photocatalyst had the activity under visible light irradiation. In addition, a N-OR type HALS (LA-81) loading worked as radical scavenger, showing that the PS autoxidation was certainly controlled. After the 144 h irradiation, the molecular weight was drastically decreased with the increases of heating temperature and time. When the heat treatment was performed by the enclosed sample with the aluminum foil, the molecular weight change behavior was considerably different between the PS and PS/LA-81. The difference was due to the chain scission mechanism. The intra-alkyl radical production in PS chain allowed controlling molecular weight by the heat treatment.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, No. 20K05587 from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and by Nagasaki University organization for marine science and technology, respectively. The authors would like to thank ADEKA Co. for providing LA-77 and LA-81. This study made use of instruments (GPC & thermogravimetry) in the Advanced Material Science Research Unit Sharing System of Nagasaki University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polymeri Materials Laboratory, Chemistry and Materials Program, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan

    Hisayuki Nakatani, Takuma Kyan & Yukito Urakawa

  2. Organization for Marine Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan

    Hisayuki Nakatani

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  1. Hisayuki Nakatani
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  2. Takuma Kyan
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Correspondence to Hisayuki Nakatani.

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Nakatani, H., Kyan, T. & Urakawa, Y. Novel Recycling System of Polystyrene Water Debris with Polymer Photocatalyst and Thermal Treatment. J Polym Environ 29, 1467–1476 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-020-01976-5

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