Recycling Japan

The Association for Containers and Packaging Recycling, Japan, Guidelines for the Facilities of Recycling of Plastic Containers and Packaging in 2002 Fiscal Year, p. 9, (2001) (In Japanese). 

Secondary alcohols (C q—for surfactant iatermediates are produced by hydrolysis of secondary alkyl borate or boroxiae esters formed when paraffin hydrocarbons are air-oxidized ia the presence of boric acid [10043-35-3] (19,20). Union Carbide Corporation operated a plant ia the United States from 1964 until 1977. A plant built by Nippon Shokubai (Japan Catalytic Chemical) ia 1972 ia Kawasaki, Japan was expanded to 30,000 t/yr capacity ia 1980 (20). The process has been operated iadustriaHy ia the USSR siace 1959 (21). Also, predominantiy primary alcohols are produced ia large volumes ia the USSR by reduction of fatty acids, or their methyl esters, from permanganate-catalyzed air oxidation of paraffin hydrocarbons (22). The paraffin oxidation is carried out ia the temperature range 150—180°C at a paraffin conversion generally below 20% to a mixture of trialkyl borate, (RO)2B, and trialkyl boroxiae, (ROBO). Unconverted paraffin is separated from the product mixture by flash distillation. After hydrolysis of residual borate esters, the boric acid is recovered for recycle and the alcohols are purified by washing and distillation (19,20). 

The ammonium chloride process, developed by Asahi Glass, is a variation of the basic Solvay process (9—11). It requires the use of soHd sodium chloride but obtains higher sodium conversions (+90%) than does the Solvay process. This is especially important ia Japan, where salt is imported as a soHd. The major difference from the Solvay process is that here the ammonium chloride produced is crystallized by cooling and through the addition of soHd sodium chloride. The resulting mother Hquor is then recycled to dissolve additional sodium chloride. The ammonium chloride is removed for use as rice paddy fertilizer. Ammonia makeup is generally suppHed by an associated synthesis plant. 

The current and projected HDPE capacities are shown in Table 3, and producers of resins in Table 4. In most cases, an accurate estimation of the total HDPE volume is compHcated by the fact that a large number of plants also use the same reactors for manufacture of HDPE or LLDPE. UHMWPE is produced in the United States (Himont and American Hoechst), in Japan (Asahi), and in Germany (Hoechst) worldwide capacity is approximately 45,000 tons. The use of post-consumer (recycled) HDPE is gradually increasing in volume. The growth of recycling programs is driven principally by economics (110,114) it has increased from a mere 60,000 tons in 1989 to 350,000 tons in 1994 and is expected to increase to 1.4 million t in the year 2000 (115). 

Idemitsu Process. Idemitsu built a 50 t x 10 per year plant at Chiba, Japan, which was commissioned in Febmary of 1989. In the Idemitsu process, ethylene is oligomerised at 120°C and 3.3 MPa (33 atm) for about one hour in the presence of a large amount of cyclohexane and a three-component catalyst. The cyclohexane comprises about 120% of the product olefin. The catalyst includes sirconium tetrachloride, an aluminum alkyl such as a mixture of ethylalurninumsesquichloride and triethyl aluminum, and a Lewis base such as thiophene or an alcohol such as methanol (qv). This catalyst combination appears to produce more polymer (- 2%) than catalysts used in other a-olefin processes. The catalyst content of the cmde product is about 0.1 wt %. The catalyst is killed by using weak ammonium hydroxide followed by a water wash. Ethylene and cyclohexane are recycled. Idemitsu s basic a-olefin process patent (9) indicates that linear a-olefin levels are as high as 96% at C g and close to 100% at and Cg. This is somewhat higher than those produced by other processes. 

The ammonolysis of phenol (61—65) is a commercial process in Japan. Aristech Chemical Corporation (formerly USS Chemical Division of USX Corporation) currently operates a plant at Ha verb ill, Ohio to convert phenol to aniline. The plant s design is based on Halcon s process (66). In this process, phenol is vapori2ed, mixed with fresh and recycled ammonia, and fed to a reactor that contains a proprietary Lewis acid catalyst. The gas leaving the reactor is fed to a distillation column to recover ammonia overhead for recycle. Aniline, water, phenol, and a small quantity of by-product dipbenylamines are recovered from the bottom of the column and sent to the drying column, where water is removed. 

In Japan, Toagosei is reported to produce trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene by chlorination of ethylene followed by dehydrochlorination. In this process the intermediate tetrachloroethane is either dehydrochlorinated to trichloroethylene or further chlorinated to pentachloroethane [76-01-7] followed by dehydrochlorination to tetrachloroethylene. Partially chlorinated by-products are recycled and by-product HCl is available for other processes. 

Other estimates placed the film and bottle market to be of a similar size in Japan while globally the bottle market was about 20% of the total. Together with other data this suggests that the fibre and filament market absorbs about 72% of PET capacity, containers about 19%, film about 7% and mouldings 2%. Considerable quantities of PET bottles are, however, recycled into fibres for use, for example, in outdoor clothing. 

The commercial recovery of iodine on an industrial scale depends on the particular source of the element.Erom natural brines, such as those at Midland (Michigan) or in Russia or Japan, chlorine oxidation followed by air blowout as for bromine (above) is much used, the final purification being by resublimation. Alternatively the brine, after clarification, can be treated with just sufficient AgNOs to precipitate the Agl which is then treated with clean scrap iron or steel to form metallic Ag and a solution of EeU the Ag is redissolved in HNO3 for recycling and the solution is treated with CI2 to liberate the h ... 

Japan Chemical Week 40,No.2031, 1st July 1999, p.9 CONTAINERS RECYCLING LAW TO BE ENFORCED NEXT APRIL... 

This paper provides a detailed overview of the current plastics waste management situation in Japan. It discusses material, chemical, and thermal recycling, and incineration versus landfill. It also provides a flow sheet showing recycling and the treatment/disposal of plastics waste in Japan in 1991. Conclusions are drawn, and the outlook for the future is considered. 5 refs. 

Paper, Film Foil Converter 68,No.7, July 1994,p.63/4 THERMAL RECYCLING OF PLASTICS GAINING POPULARITY IN JAPAN... 

Thermal recycling of plastics is becoming a more popular option in Japan, largely because of a lack of landfill sites, and also because of the materials potential as an untapped source of energy. The article supplies brief details of the advantages of thermal recycling. 

Cincinnati,Oh., 8th-llth Feb. 1993, Paper 15-E. 627 RECYCLING THERMOSETS IN JAPAN UPDATE - TERTIARY REPORT Kitamura T... 

The updated situation of Recycling Thermoset Composites in Japan is diseussed. The dismantling or cutting up of ships, baths, water tanks, and automotive parts are eovered. Recyeling methods include pyrolysis and incineration. Details are also given of uses for recycled materials such as automotive parts, building materials and cement additives. 18 refs. 

In Japan the amount of waste poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has been sharply increasing since disposal of building materials such as pipe and roof liners with long service life has been started recently. It was estimated to be approximately one million tons in FY 2000, and it is predicted to increase further to approximately 1.8 million tons in FY 2020. Since the landfill sites run short and the incineration to reduce its volume produces dioxins and corrodes boiler tube by hydrogen chloride, development of a safe and inexpensive technology for the recycling of waste PVC is one of the most urgent issues. 

In EU countries, the principle behind directives for collection, recovery, and reuse has been EPR, making producers responsible for the take-back of e-waste. Canada and Australia are among other countries developing systems based on these principles. Japan s Reuse, Recycling and Recovery system differs in some ways, while still promoting take-back by manufacturers. The most salient difference is the direct payment of recycling costs by Japanese consumers. 

Analyses of developed countries e-waste management shows Japan to have perhaps the best-functioning system, in terms of scope and compliance levels. Korea, Canada, and Australia have well-advanced systems as well. Switzerland s system is seen as a model of comprehensive management, and the Swiss, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands have all exceeded minimum EU e-waste directives collection and recycling targets. 

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