Operation POLY SHELL

None of the factors that affect particle morphology operate alone. In particular, the mode of monomer addition is an interacting factor. This is illustrated by procedures used to produce core-and-shcll polymers for use in architectural paints [26]. Polymers used for this purpose are primarily copolymers of butyl acrylate with either vinyl acetate or methyl methacrylate. The goal here was to make particles with conventional film-forming polymer shells and cores comprised of less expensive monomers than were used in the shells. In practice, this could mean poly(vinyl acetate) cores inside vinyl acetate/butyl acrylate shells or the same or poly(methyl... 

In the USA, Conrad Industries and the American Plastics Council have demonstrated a thermal cracking process to recover a liquid petroleum product in about 70-80% yield by weight [28], but this is still in its early days and has been operated using mainly poly(alkenes) and PS. This appears to be very similar to the BASF process, and Shell are also working on a two-stage pyrolytic process to convert plastic waste into a liquid hydrocarbon stream. 

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