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Recycling of extruded polystyrene wastes by dissolution and supercritical CO2 technology

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Chemical Feedstock Recycling 9
  • Published:
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Polystyrene (PS) is currently used as packaging, insulating and storing material in various industrial or domestic fields. As a result, a large quantity of PS wastes is produced. Plastic wastes are not usually biodegradable, so it is necessary to suggest a technology to recycle them. Landfills and incineration are reasonably cheap methods but are not environmentally acceptable, therefore, alternative methods for polymer recycling are required. The general purpose of PS foam recycling is to recover a more compact polymeric material without degradation. Dissolution with terpenic solvents is presented here as an efficient and cheap alternative that is developed at room temperature; among the oils studied, limonene was selected because of its intermediate solubility and its abundance. The solvent removal is possible thanks to supercritical technology that provides a high solubility in limonene and almost a complete PS insolubility at moderated pressures (77 bar) and low temperatures (30 °C). Thus, based on the results of thermogravimetric and chromatographic analysis, we propose that.supercritical antisolvent precipitation is an ideal technique for carrying out the separation of PS and limonene, providing a recycled polymer with a reduced volume, almost completely free of solvent and without degradation of the polymeric chains.

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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 for provision of a FPU grant to our PhD student.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Maria T. García, Ignacio Gracia & Antonio de Lucas

  2. Institute of Chemical and Environmental Technology (ITQUIMA), Faculty of Chemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida 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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  3. Ignacio Gracia
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  4. Antonio de Lucas
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  5. Juan F. Rodríguez
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Correspondence to Juan F. Rodríguez.

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Gutiérrez, C., García, M.T., Gracia, I. et al. Recycling of extruded polystyrene wastes by dissolution and supercritical CO2 technology. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 14, 308–316 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-012-0074-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-012-0074-9

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