Polymer waste: controlled breakdown or recycling?

Bodzay, Brigitta; Bánhegyi, György

This paper discusses two possible strategies used in plastics waste disposal: one is materials recycling the other is controlled breakdown including biological thermal or chemical degradation. The first is accompanied by a possible minimum of degradation, the macromolecular structure remains intact, rather post-stabilization is the main target. Here the key issues are selective waste collection, compatibleness of otherwise incompatible polymers and the exploration of possible upgrading. Special care should be paid to harmful additives. If the polymeris thermo set, mechanical or partial chemical degradation (devulcanization) is necessary for recycling but linear polymers may also be partially degraded into useful oligomers. A specialcase of partiald egradation is biodegradation or controlled photo-oxidation. Pyrolysis and energetic utilization (incineration) correspond to complete degradation. An example is discussed to demonstrate the principles in detail from our own practice related to automotive shredder waste.

POLYMERS; PLASTIC recycling; WASTE recycling; CHEMICAL decomposition; BIODEGRADATION

International Journal of Design Sciences & Technology, 2016, Vol 22, Issue 2, p109

1630-7267

Academic Journal