Polymer packaging waste recycling: study of the pyrolysis of two blends via TGA
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Polymer packaging waste recycling: study of the pyrolysis of two blends via TGA Evangelia C. Vouvoudi1 · Dimitris S. Achilias1 Received: 10 February 2020 / Accepted: 3 October 2020 © Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary 2020
Abstract The aim of this work is the evaluation of thermal degradation temperatures of two polymeric blends constituted by polyethylene PE, polypropylene PP, polystyrene PS and poly(ethylene terephthalate) PET through TGA in a catalytic mode. These polymers are widely known for their everyday use as packaging materials worldwide. The need for recycling is evident, the searches try to combine the energy profit with the use of common oxides as catalysts. The oxides chosen to be studied were MgO CaO, BaO γ-Al2O3 and TiO2, all dried and powdered. The results indicate that truthfully the implication of MgO lowers the decomposition peak temperature for most cases. Thus, MgO has been chosen as a satisfactory catalyst since the low acidity of the others leads to no harm for the polymers. Two blends containing the commoner polymers have also been studied in order to simulate the real conditions in solid waste, namely Blend A: PE/PET/PP of 50/25/25 and Blend B: PE/ PET/PP/PS/PVC of 40/25/20/10/5 mass ratio. The most impressive result regards the PVC involvement, since small ratio in the blend reduces the decomposition beginning below 100 °C. Keywords Solid waste management · Polymers recycling · Oxides catalysts · Energy recovery · Packaging materials
Introduction It is not only the great chemical and mechanical characteristics, but also the low financial charge that place polymers at the first position of packaging materials list, before paper, glass or wood. The industrial evolution has brought modern societies in great levels of consumption, thus the packages volumes produced and consumed and thrown away grow rapidly, especially in developed states. A good measure is the fact that in Europe, the first sector of polymeric industry is packaging industry with 40% of production [1]. In 2017, 172.6 kg of packaging waste was generated per inhabitant in the EU of 27 members, while the packaging waste in the same year has seen a rise of 2.3% compared to that of 2016 [2]. As it seems, all the properties that make polymers desirable for packages make them undesirable, at the same time, as garbage after use [3]. Polymers, called plastics in * Dimitris S. Achilias [email protected] 1
Laboratory of Polymers and Dyes Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloníki, Macedonia, Greece
daily life, are non-biodegradable when laid on soil or found in nature, which means that their increasing accumulation in the environment contributes to its pollution [4]. Apart from landfilling, which is unwished for the environment, recycling is the suitable choice for lifelong sustainable waste management. Primary recycling is the simple reuse of products within the manufacturer, secondary recycling regards the mechanical process for reproduction, tertiary recycli
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