Waste polymers, metals

Another approach for overcoming the problems posed by conventional cracking catalysts has been disclosed recently by Reverse et al. [101]. In this case, direct cracking is performed by using as catalyst a molten bed of pure metal or a metal mixture (mainly lead, zinc, tin) at a temperature of 460-550°C wherein the waste polymer is loaded inside the reactor at a certain depth. The authors point out that the products are indeed a result of the combination of both thermal and catalytic cracking. The catalyst composition may also include some acidic component such as metal silicates, metal carbonates and their mixtures. The process can be applied to pure and mixed polymers (PE, PET, PP, PVC), as well as to the plastic fraction of municipal solid wastes. 

Because of the unique versatility of aluminas, and a greater current understanding of their properties, these materials have moved into industries not formerly considered as applicable adsorption opportunities. In the past, petrochemical applications of alumina adsorption accounted for virtually all of the adsorbent alumina market. Today the list encompasses specialty chemicals, polymers, metals, waste management, and biological processing, among others. 

Microwave heating is an appropriate tool for recycling polymer waste. For example, it can be applied to separate metal from polymer/metal laminates by pyrolysis, to depolymerize polyamide and poly(ethylene terephthalate) by solvolysis, or to devulcanize rubber (see Table 1.6). Detailed information on this topic is available in Ref. [19]. 

Lewis acids, such as the haUde salts of the alkaline-earth metals, Cu(I), Cu(II), 2inc, Fe(III), aluminum, etc, are effective catalysts for this reaction (63). The ammonolysis of polyamides obtained from post-consumer waste has been used to cleave the polymer chain as the first step in a recycle process in which mixtures of nylon-6,6 and nylon-6 can be reconverted to diamine (64). The advantage of this approach Hes in the fact that both the adipamide [628-94-4] and 6-aminohexanoamide can be converted to hexarnethylenediarnine via their respective nitriles in a conventional two-step process in the presence of the diamine formed in the original ammonolysis reaction, thus avoiding a difficult and cosdy separation process. In addition, the mixture of nylon-6,6 and nylon-6 appears to react faster than does either polyamide alone. 

Sulfur Polymer Cement. SPC has been proven effective in reducing leach rates of reactive heavy metals to the extent that some wastes can be managed solely as low level waste (LLW). When SPC is combined with mercury and lead oxides (both toxic metals), it interacts chemically to form mercury sulfide, HgS, and lead sulfide, PbS, both of which are insoluble in water. A dried sulfur residue from petroleum refining that contained 600-ppm vanadium (a carcinogen) was chemically modified using dicyclopentadiene and oligomer of cyclopentadiene and used to make SC (58). This material was examined by the California Department of Health Services (Cal EPA) and the leachable level of vanadium had been reduced to 8.3 ppm, well below the soluble threshold limit concentration of 24 ppm (59). 

Thermosetting Reactive Polymers. Materials used as thermosetting polymers include reactive monomers such as urea—formaldehyde, phenoHcs, polyesters, epoxides, and vinyls, which form a polymerized material when mixed with a catalyst. The treated waste forms a sponge-like material which traps the soHd particles, but not the Hquid fraction the waste must usually be dried and placed in containers for disposal. Because the urea—formaldehyde catalysts are strongly acidic, urea-based materials are generally not suitable for metals that can leach in the untrapped Hquid fractions. Thermosetting processes have greater utiHty for radioactive materials and acid wastes. 

The teehniques of speetrophotometry determination of ion metals, eleetroehemistry deteriuination of PVP eontent in medieine, bioobjeets, waste water and speetrophotometry and ehromatography teehniques of determination of PVP moleeular masses in substation and medieine are developed with the help of polymer-dye adduets. 

Adsorption, which utilizes the ability of a solid adsorbent to adsorb specific components from a gaseous or a liquid solution onto its surface. Examples of adsorption include the use of granular activated carbon for the removal of ben-zene/toluene/xylene mixtures from underground water, the separation of ketones from aqueous wastes of an oil refinery, aad the recovery of organic solvents from the exhaust gases of polymer manufacturing facilities. Other examples include the use of activated alumina to adsorb fluorides and arsenic from metal-finishing emissions. 

NOTE The same polymer chemistries employed in the BW deposit control treatment market sector are also made available to other markets such as waste water, cooling water, potable water production from brackish or saline supplies, metal finishing, paint and coatings, electronics, pulp and paper, and more. 

Journal of Applied Polymer Science 73,No.7, 15thAug.l999, p.1139-43 MECHANISM STUDIES ON THE CATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF WASTE POLYSTYRENE INTO STYRENE IN THE PRESENCE OF METAL POWDERS... 

Metal derivatives (Ti, Zn, Cd, Sn, Sb, Pb) and bromine from additives in recycled thermoplasts from consumer electronic waste were determined by dissolving the samples in an organic solvent, followed by TXRF analysis [56], The procedure proved considerably less time-consuming than conventional digestion of the polymer matrix. Results were validated independently by INAA. 

EINECS is a closed list containing 100,106 entries and counts for about 99% of the chemicals volume on the market. EINECS include chemical substances produced from natural products by chemical modifications or purification, such as metals, minerals, cement, refined oil, and gas substances produced from animals and plants active substances of pesticides, medicaments, fertilizers, and cosmetic products food additives a few natural polymers and some waste and by-products. They can be mixtures of different chemicals occurring namrally or as an unintentional result of the production process. 

Chitosan is a polymer with metal-binding properties that is derived from naturally occurring chitin. Research has been conducted on the potential use of chitosan in hazardous waste remediation. While chitosan does bind transition metals, it favors iron, a nonhazardous metal, which competes and interferes with chitosan s binding of toxic metals. Copper also tends to be highly bound, while the amount of cadmium and lead removed is lower. The technology is still undergoing testing and is not yet commercially available. 

The Polylonix Separation Technologies, Inc., polymer filtration is a separation technology that removes metals from aqueous waste streams. Specialized, water-soluble polymers are added... 

Aqueous systems have been used in separations, coatings, and synthesis. Aqueous biphasic systems have been developed for hquid-liquid extractions using water-soluble polymers such as polyethylene glycol, and inorganic salts such as ammonium chloride or potassium phosphate (Rogers et al., 1998), (Sherman et al., 1998). These systems have been investigated for use in the separation and recovery of heavy metals from mixed wastes and in the recovery of colored impurities from textile waste streams (Sherman et al., 1998). 

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