Plastic Recycling using Supercritical Fluids
Idzumi OKAJIMA,
Takeshi SAKO
Shizuoka University
Nippon Gomu Kyokaishi,(2004),77(10),353-358 General Review in Japanese

Abstract
Plastic recycling using supercritical fluids was investigated to develop promising future techniques. Supercritical water (Tc=374, Pc=22.1MPa) and supercritical methanol (Tc=239, Pc=8.09MPa) were used mainly because they are chemically stable, cheap and environmentally friendly. Here we introduced the several hopeful applications: decomposition and recovery of constituent monomers from polyethylene telephthalate and polyethylene naphtalate using supercritical methanol, breaking of bridging point and subsequent material recycling of cross-linked polyethylene using supercritical methanol, separation and recovery of constituent monomer and plastic from laminate films composed of polyamide and polyethylene using subcritical water, decomposition of thermosetting plastic without solid residue using supercritical water, decomposition of plastics and recovery of fibers in CFRP and GFRP with supercritical water, decomposition and debromination of flame-resistant polymer containing bromine atoms by using subcritical water and gasification and hydrogen production of plastics by use of supercritical water.

Keywords:
Supercritical water, Subcritical water, Supercritical methanol, Chemical recycling, Material recycling, Plastic

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