Method for Efficient Recovery of High-Purity Polycarbonates from Electronic Waste

Weeden, George S.; Soepriatna, Nicholas; Wang, Nien‐Hwa Linda

doi:10.1021/es5055786

Cited by 52 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Their CreaSolv process, [31] which is licensed to other companies,w as tested for expanded-and extruded-polystyrene containing hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) plastic [32,33] as well as for packaging.D issolution/ precipitation processes can separate one polymer from mixtures of polymers as present in multilayer films,o ften PP/PAorPP/PET [34][35][36] or WEEE plastics. [37] Forexample,the NewCycling process,developed by APK AG,can separate the polymers of multilayer films that also contain aluminum foil by stepwise dissolution in methylcyclohexane of PE and PP while increasing temperature according to the Patent. [38] Since 2018, APK AG runs ac ommercial plant with ac apacities of Figure 1.…”

Section: Dissolution/precipitation Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Mechanical Recycling: Giving New Life to Plastic Waste

et al. 2020

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Increasing the stream of recycled plastic necessitates an approach beyond the traditional recycling via melting and re‐extrusion. Various chemical recycling processes have great potential to enhance recycling rates. In this Review, a summary of the various chemical recycling routes and assessment via life‐cycle analysis is complemented by an extensive list of processes developed by companies active in chemical recycling. We show that each of the currently available processes is applicable for specific plastic waste streams. Thus, only a combination of different technologies can address the plastic waste problem. Research should focus on more realistic, more contaminated and mixed waste streams, while collection and sorting infrastructure will need to be improved, that is, by stricter regulation. This Review aims to inspire both science and innovation for the production of higher value and quality products from plastic recycling suitable for reuse or valorization to create the necessary economic and environmental push for a circular economy.

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Section: Dissolution/precipitation Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Mechanical Recycling: Giving New Life to Plastic Waste

et al. 2020

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“…[21] Weeden et al used mixtures of heptane/dichloromethane to dissolve electronic waste components. [22] However, they recovered the polymers by evaporating the solvents. Pure solvents and solvent combinations have also been used to dissolve various polymers at different temperatures, reducing the number of solvents needed to recover each polymer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing Antisolvent Use in the STRAP Process by Enabling a Temperature‐Controlled Polymer Dissolution and Precipitation for the Recycling of Multilayer Plastic Films

et al. 2021

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The recently reported processing strategy called solventtargeted recovery and precipitation (STRAP) enables deconstruction of multilayer plastic packaging films into their constituent resins by selective dissolution. It uses a series of solvent washes that are guided by thermodynamic calculations of polymer solubility. In this work, the use of antisolvents in the STRAP process was reduced and solvent mixtures were considered to enable the temperature-controlled dissolution and precipitation of the target polymers in multilayer films. This was considered as a means to further improve the STRAP process and its estimated costs. Two STRAP approaches were compared based on different polymer precipitation techniques: precipitation by the addition of an antisolvent (STRAP-A) and precipitation by decreasing the solvent temperature (STRAP-B). Both approaches were able to separate the constituent polymers in a post-industrial film composed primarily of polyethylene (PE), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with near 100 % material efficiency. Technoeconomic analysis indicates that the minimum selling price (MSP) of the recycled resins with STRAP-B is 21.0 % lower than that achieved with STRAP-A. This provides evidence that thermally driven polymer precipitation is an option to reduce the use of antisolvents, making the STRAP process more economically and environmentally attractive. A third process, STRAP-C, was demonstrated with another post-industrial multilayer film of a different composition. The results demonstrate that this process can also recover polymers at similar costs to those of virgin resins, indicating that the STRAP technology is flexible and can remain economically competitive as the plastic feed complexity is increased.

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“…Next, the homogenous sized particles are subjected to dissolution to dissolve, crystallize, and recover the targeted polymers as well as remove impurities using highly selective solvents. Typically, the solvents used for dissolution include water, methanol, propanol, hexane, dichloromethane, toluene, xylene 134,135 among others, which are based on broad classifications such as strong or weak solvents. 133 The homogeneous or heterogeneous process of dissolution is also significantly influenced by the polarity, solubility, and cohesion between the solvent and polymer.…”

Section: Solvent/solvothermal Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging trends in sustainable treatment and valorisation technologies for plastic wastes in Nigeria: A concise review

Nyakuma

Ivase²

2021

Env Prog and Sustain Energy

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The article presents an overview of the status, challenges, and prospects of current and emerging trends for the sustainable treatment and valorisation technologies of plastic wastes. The proliferation is ascribed to the growing population, living standards, and use of low cost, unbiodegradable, and chemically resistant plastic wastes in Nigeria. This scenario is exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive strategies for the collection, transport, segregation, and management of plastic wastes. Currently, plastic wastes treatment is accomplished by open-air burning, dumping, and landfilling. More advanced technologies, such as thermal (incineration, gasification), chemical (catalytic cracking and selective dissolution), and biological (microbial degradation) methods, are also utilized for treatment and valorisation. However, these high-cost, obsolete, and inefficient technologies result in GHG emissions, toxic fumes, toxins and leachates. Hence, novel technologies for the reuse, recycling, reduction, and valorisation of plastic wastes must emphasize energy, materials, and resource recovery. The article proposes the upcycling of plastic wastes into carbon nanomaterials (carbon microspheres, carbon nanofibers (CNFs), graphene flakes, carbon nanotubes), polymeric composite materials (wood-polyethylene composites, wood-fiber-reinforced plastics), biocrude/bio-oil, fuels, chemicals, and char through solvent/solvothermal treatment and plasma conversion. Solvent/solvothermal treatment can effectively treat and upcycle plastic wastes along with the removal of toxic, recalcitrant and bio-accumulative pollutants such as brominated flame retardants and organophosphorus flame retardants. However, the study identified numerous challenges that currently hamper plastic wastes disposal, management, and valorisation. Hence, sustainable and socially friendly approaches for plastic waste management and valorisation are required to address their short-and long-term impacts on human health, safety and the environment in Nigeria.

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Method for Efficient Recovery of High-Purity Polycarbonates from Electronic Waste

Cited by 52 publications

References 38 publications

Beyond Mechanical Recycling: Giving New Life to Plastic Waste

Beyond Mechanical Recycling: Giving New Life to Plastic Waste

Reducing Antisolvent Use in the STRAP Process by Enabling a Temperature‐Controlled Polymer Dissolution and Precipitation for the Recycling of Multilayer Plastic Films

Emerging trends in sustainable treatment and valorisation technologies for plastic wastes in Nigeria: A concise review

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