A new recycling system for expanded polystyrene using a natural solvent. Part 1. A new recycling technique

A new technique of processing for waste-expanded polystyrene foams as aggregates

“…Although recycled EPS foam does not have the same expansion characteristics as virgin foam bead and requires different treatment during processing, it appears to be a viable material for composite materials. Noguchi et al (1998) reported that the EPS recycling mainly has three kinds of methods. The first is material recycling, which is reducing EPS in volume by heating, solvent, or friction at first, and then PS can be recovered as an ingot or pellet, and reused into raw material, daily products, construction material and so on.…”

“…The third is thermal recycling, an effective method for the contaminated waste EPS, by which the waste EPS can be used for energy generation through combustion. Noguchi et al (1998) developed a new recycling system for waste EPS using a natural solvent. In their study they proposed a new system of recycling EPS, which uses an orange oil, d-limonene, as the EPS shrinking agent has been proved practical.…”

Recycling extruded polystyrene by dissolution with suitable solvents

“…6 This compound does not produce molecular weight degradation during the recycling process. In total, 98% (by weight) of commercially available D-limonene is made up of an essential oil obtained from orange or lemon peel.…”

Dissolution of polystyrene into cyclic monoterpenes present in tree essential oils

“…However, oxidative degradation of polystyrene (PS) occurs during the thermal shrinking process. Recently, Noguchi et al [1] proposed an alternative process using Citrus fruit peel oil, of which the main component is a naturally occurring cyclic monoterpene, (R)-limonene. Although Citrus peel is a renewable resource, peel corresponding to about 10,000 oranges is necessary to extract 1 dm 3 of the oil.…”