PMID- 35012134
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20240405
IS  - 2073-4360 (Electronic)
IS  - 2073-4360 (Linking)
VI  - 14
IP  - 1
DP  - 2021 Dec 29
TI  - The Mechanics of Forming Ideal Polymer-Solvent Combinations for Open-Loop 
      Chemical Recycling of Solvents and Plastics.
LID - 10.3390/polym14010112 [doi]
LID - 112
AB  - The inherent value and use of hydrocarbons from waste plastics and solvents can 
      be extended through open-loop chemical recycling, as this process converts 
      plastic to a range of non-plastic materials. This process is enhanced by first 
      creating plastic-solvent combinations from multiple sources, which then are 
      streamlined through a single process stream. We report on the relevant mechanics 
      for streamlining industrially relevant polymers such as polystyrene (PS), 
      polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and acrylonitrile butadiene 
      styrene (ABS) into chemical slurries mixed with various organic solvents such as 
      toluene, xylene, and cyclohexane. The miscibility of the polymer feedstock within 
      the solvent was evaluated using the Relative Energy Difference method, and the 
      dissolution process was evaluated using the "Molecular theories in a continuum 
      framework" model. These models were used to design a batch process yielding 1 
      tonne/h slurry by setting appropriate assumptions including constant viscosity of 
      solvents, disentanglement-controlled dissolution mechanism, and linear increase 
      in the dissolved polymer's mass fraction over time. Solvent selection was found 
      to be the most critical parameter for the dissolution process. The 
      characteristics of the ideal solvent are high affinity to the desired polymer and 
      low viscosity. This work serves as a universal technical guideline for the 
      open-loop chemical recycling of plastics, avoiding the growth of waste plastic by 
      utilising them as a carbon feedstock towards a circular economy framework.
FAU - Tsampanakis, Ioannis
AU  - Tsampanakis I
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-0635-9957
AD  - Energy Safety Research Institute, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea SA1 
      8EN, UK.
AD  - Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Bay 
      Campus, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK.
FAU - Orbaek White, Alvin
AU  - Orbaek White A
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6338-5970
AD  - Energy Safety Research Institute, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea SA1 
      8EN, UK.
AD  - Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Bay 
      Campus, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20211229
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Polymers (Basel)
JT  - Polymers
JID - 101545357
PMC - PMC8747207
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
OT  - carbon feedstock
OT  - chemical recycling
OT  - circular economy
OT  - mathematical modelling
OT  - open-loop recycling
OT  - plastic waste
OT  - polystyrene
OT  - toluene
COIS- A.O.W. founded TRIMTABS Ltd. who co-sponsored I.T. through the KESS2 program. All 
      other authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the 
      design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in 
      the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
EDAT- 2022/01/12 06:00
MHDA- 2022/01/12 06:01
PMCR- 2021/12/29
CRDT- 2022/01/11 01:17
PHST- 2021/11/24 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2021/12/23 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2021/12/24 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2022/01/11 01:17 [entrez]
PHST- 2022/01/12 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2022/01/12 06:01 [medline]
PHST- 2021/12/29 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - polym14010112 [pii]
AID - polymers-14-00112 [pii]
AID - 10.3390/polym14010112 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Polymers (Basel). 2021 Dec 29;14(1):112. doi: 10.3390/polym14010112.