Recovery and Recycling

Separation and recycle systems. Waste is produced from separation and recycle systems through the inadequate recovery and recycling of valuable materials from waste streams. 

The recycling of engineering thermoplastics such as polyamides, ABS, and PTEE have been discussed (50). Property degradation as a result of use, recovery, and recycling is a concern. 

The precipitated cellulose acetate is filtered from the dilute (25—36%) acetic acid. The acetic acid and salts remaining from the sulfuric acid neutrali2ation are removed by washing. The wet polymer is typically dried to a moisture content of 1—5%. The dilute acetic acid obtained from the washing and precipitation steps caimot be used in other stages of the process. Its efficient recovery and recycle are an economic necessity. 

The typical SEA process uses a manganese catalyst with a potassium promoter (for solubilization) in a batch reactor. A manganese catalyst increases the relative rate of attack on carbonyl intermediates. Low conversions are followed by recovery and recycle of complex intermediate streams. Acid recovery and purification involve extraction with caustic and heat treatment to further decrease small amounts of impurities (particularly carbonyls). The fatty acids are recovered by freeing with sulfuric acid and, hence, sodium sulfate is a by-product. 

Economic Aspects. The 1992 MEK nameplate capacity for the United States, East Asia, and Western Europe is Hsted in Table 5. During the period 1980—1989 MEK achieved a negative growth rate as demand dropped from 311,000 (48) to 228, 000 t/yr (49). Stricter VOC regulations were largely responsible for the decline, and the trend will continue as solvent recovery and recycling, as well as substitution away from MEK, take effect. 

Recycle and Polymer Collection. Due to the incomplete conversion of monomer to polymer, it is necessary to incorporate a system for the recovery and recycling of the unreacted monomer. Both tubular and autoclave reactors have similar recycle systems (Fig. 1). The high pressure separator partitions most of the polymers from the unreacted monomer. The separator overhead stream, composed of monomer and a trace of low molecular weight polymer, enters a series of coolers and separators where both the reaction heat and waxy polymers are removed. Subsequendy, this stream is combined with fresh as well as recycled monomers from the low pressure separator together they supply feed to the secondary compressor. 

To recovery and recycle or vitrification and disposal in deep geologic repository... 

Suspended Particle Techniques. In these methods of size enlargement, granular soHds are produced direcdy from a Hquid or semiliquid phase by dispersion in a gas to allow solidification through heat and/or mass transfer. The feed Hquid, which may be a solution, gel, paste, emulsion, slurry, or melt, must be pumpable and dispersible. Equipment used includes spray dryers, prilling towers, spouted and fluidized beds, and pneumatic conveying dryers, all of which are amenable to continuous, automated, large-scale operation. Because attrition and fines carryover are common problems with this technique, provision must be made for recovery and recycling. 

The economics of this process depend on near-quantitative recovery and recycle of the iodine to prepare butyl iodide. 

Solvent Recovery. Most of the activated carbon used in gas-phase applications is employed to prevent the release of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. Much of this use has been in response to environmental regulations, but recovery and recycling of solvents from a range of industrial processes such as printing, coating, and extmsion of fibers also provides substantial economic benefits. 

The processiag costs associated with separation and corrosion are stiU significant ia the low pressure process for the process to be economical, the efficiency of recovery and recycle of the rhodium must be very high. Consequently, researchers have continued to seek new ways to faciUtate the separation and confine the corrosion. Extensive research was done with rhodium phosphine complexes bonded to soHd supports, but the resulting catalysts were not sufficiently stable, as rhodium was leached iato the product solution (27,28). A mote successful solution to the engineering problem resulted from the apphcation of a two-phase Hquid-Hquid process (29). The catalyst is synthesized with polar -SO Na groups on the phenyl rings of the triphenylphosphine. 

Polymer-supported catalysts incorporating organometaUic complexes also behave in much the same way as their soluble analogues (28). Extensive research has been done in attempts to develop supported rhodium complex catalysts for olefin hydroformylation and methanol carbonylation, but the effort has not been commercially successful. The difficulty is that the polymer-supported catalysts are not sufftciendy stable the valuable metal is continuously leached into the product stream (28). Consequendy, the soHd catalysts fail to eliminate the problems of corrosion and catalyst recovery and recycle that are characteristic of solution catalysis. 

Ultrafiltration membranes are commercially fabricated in sheet, capillary and tubular forms. The liquid to be filtered is forced into the assemblage and dilute permeate passes perpendicularly through the membrane while concentrate passes out the end of the media. This technology is useful for the recovery and recycle of suspended solids and macromolecules. Excellent results have been achieved in textile finishing applications and other situations where neither entrained solids that could clog the filter nor dissolved ions that would pass through are present. Membrane life can be affected by temperature, pH, and fouling. 

Ionic liquids operate in true biphasic mode. While the recovery and recyclability of ionic liquid was found to be more efficient than with the conventional AICI3 catalyst (red oil), the selectivity for the monoalkylated aromatic hydrocarbon was lower. In this gas-liquid-liquid reaction, the solubility of the reactants in the ionic phase (e.g. the benzene/ethene ratio in the ionic phase) and the mixing of the phases were probably critical. This is an example in which the engineering aspects are of the utmost importance. 

In comparison with classical processes involving thermal separation, biphasic techniques offer simplified process schemes and no thermal stress for the organometal-lic catalyst. The concept requires that the catalyst and the product phases separate rapidly, to achieve a practical approach to the recovery and recycling of the catalyst. Thanks to their tunable solubility characteristics, ionic liquids have proven to be good candidates for multiphasic techniques. They extend the applications of aqueous biphasic systems to a broader range of organic hydrophobic substrates and water-sensitive catalysts [48-50]. 

In addition, we are evaluating problems in the areas of process and equipment design have been evaluated. Most recent efforts are concerned with the recovery and recycle of plutonium values in the residues. 

Waste HBr is a common byproduct of organic brominations. Frequently, this waste is neutralized with caustic, the resulting sodium bromide salt is discharged, and valuable bromine is lost. The economic advantages of recovery and recycle of this HBr have long been recognized (refs. 1, 3). In practice, recovery typically takes the form of conversion of the HBr to clear drilling fluids or alkylbromides (ref. 4) as shown in equations 1 and 2. 

All of the methods of recovery and recycle have been limited by market forces. However, the importance of environmental issues in the selection of the HBr conversion or recycle processes has only more recently been recognized (refs. 5, 6). For example, proposed restrictions (refs. 7, 8) on methyl bromide manufacture could eliminate this high-volume, economical route to HBr conversion. 

It is reported that ICI Acrylics has launched a new recovery and recycling service for Perspex sheeting... 

Recovery and recycle of ingredients Better utilization of raw materials saves money, natural resources, and the environment. 

Scheme 5.16. In some instances, e.g. the aza-Diels-Alder reaction illustrated, Lewis acid catalysts are additionally required but use of ionic liquids greatly enhanees their ease of recovery and recycle.

There has been an emphasis on recovery and recycling of trichloroethylene to reduce emissions of this photoreactive chemical to the atmosphere (CMR 1986 McNeill 1979). Photooxidative destruction has been successfully used in conjunction with air-stripping techniques to volatilize trichloroethylene from water and degrade it to nontoxic products (Bhowmick and Semmens 1994). If possible, recycling should be used instead of disposal. 

Create a closed-loop system so that the industry recycles waste. Many copier and laser printer manufacturers have now done this, including the recovery and recycling of used toner cartridges as part of the overall service. 

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