Environmentally friendly chemical recycling of poly(bisphenol-A carbonate) through phase transfer-catalysed alkaline hydrolysis under microwave irradiation.

Autor: Tsintzou GP; Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece., Antonakou EV, Achilias DS
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of hazardous materials [J Hazard Mater] 2012 Nov 30; Vol. 241-242, pp. 137-45. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Sep 23.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.09.027
Abstrakt: The various and widespread uses of polycarbonate (PC) polymers require a meaningful and environmentally friendly disposal method. In this study, depolymerisation of polycarbonate with water in a microwave reactor is suggested as a recycling method. Hydrolysis was investigated in an alkaline (NaOH) solution using a phase-transfer catalyst. All of the experiments were carried out in a sealed microwave reactor, in which the reaction pressure, temperature and microwave power were continuously controlled and recorded. In the hydrolysis products, bisphenol-A monomer was obtained and identified by FTIR measurements. PC degradation higher than 80% can be obtained at 160°C after a microwave irradiation time of either 40 min or 10 min using either a 5 or 10% (w/v) NaOH solution, respectively. GPC, TGA and DSC measurements of the PC residues revealed that surface erosion is the degradation mechanism. First-order reaction kinetics were estimated by implementing a simple kinetic model. Finally, greater than 85% degradation was achieved when waste CDs were treated with the same method. The results confirm the importance of the microwave power technique as a promising recycling method for PC-based waste plastics, resulting in monomer recovery in addition to substantial energy savings.
(Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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