Degradation Of Polycarbonate Research Articles

Thermal pyrolysis of a real plastic sample from small WEEE and characterization of the produced oil in view of fuel or feedstock uses

The possibilities of valorizing by pyrolysis a plastic fraction from small waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE-R4) rejected by a material recovery facility have been assessed. The characterization revealed that WEEE-R4 was mainly composed of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) and blends of polycarbonate (PC)-ABS (75 and 25 wt%, respectively) and had good physicochemical properties as feed for pyrolysis processes: high values for volatile matter (95 wt%) and low heating value (LHV, 35 MJ/kg) and low ash and moisture content (2.5 and 0.33 wt%, respectively). On the contrary, the high content of heteroatoms, in particular Br from brominated flame retardants, arose as source of concern. Thermal analysis coupled with evolved gas Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that WEEE-R4 degraded in two steps in the range 310–460 °C and mainly to the monoaromatic compounds phenol and styrene. Thermal pyrolysis at 400 °C was carried out in a bench-scale reactor and the yields of the products were 18 wt% solids, 58 wt% light oil, 16 wt% tar and 8 wt% gas. The gaseous fraction was composed mainly of CO2 (60 wt%), originating from the thermal degradation of PC. After removing CO2, the gas had a good LHV (32.5 MJ/kg) such to contribute for the 66 % to the energy required for the pyrolysis process of WEEE-R4. The properties of the light oil were evaluated by means of the same standard tests used for commercial fuels or crude oils. The results were interesting but far from the more refined gasoline and diesel oil, with the concentration of nitrogen and bromine even higher than the typical composition of petroleum. Nevertheless, this study shows that pyrolysis followed by a refining treatment such as, distillation is capable of producing monoaromatic hydrocarbon in significant amount (>30 wt%).

Analysis of polycarbonate degradation at melt/FeCr-alloy interfaces as a function of the alloy composition by means of combinatorial thin film chemistry

Interfacial reactions at the polycarbonate (PC)/FeCr-alloy interface during melt contact were studied as function of the Fe:Cr ratio within the alloy. Thin Fe/Cr films with lateral composition gradients were deposited by magnetron sputtering; the analysis of the films was done with microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The local interfacial polymeric film formation could be therefore directly correlated with the Fe:Cr ratio. The local thickness and structure of the formed polycarbonate residue was analyzed by means of imaging ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy as well as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy under grazing incidence and XPS. Moreover, confocal fluorescence microscopy of the PC melt/alloy interface could reveal the formation of minor degradation products in the interphase region. The results show that already an Fe:Cr ratio of 2 : 1 leads to a strong inhibition of the thermal degradation in comparison to the unalloyed iron, and that in general, the enrichment of chromium in the passive film leads to an effective suppression of interfacial PC degradation. The data contributes to improving the mechanistic understanding of the role of iron during this process. Additionally, a critical concentration of chromium in the alloys used for PC processing can be deduced.

Effect of the catalyst type on pyrolysis products distribution of polymer blends simulating plastics contained in waste electric and electronic equipment

The valorization of the plastic part from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) is of significant importance for the upcycling of this waste stream with pyrolysis proposed as an appropriate, environmentally friendly, thermo-chemical recycling technique. The subject of this study is to investigate the distribution of the products obtained after the addition of certain catalysts in the pyrolysis of polymer blends with a composition similar to that of plastics in WEEE. Specifically, blends of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were examined in experiments taking place in a lab scale pyrolyser coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) for the on-line recording of the products obtained. Six different catalysts (CaO, γ-Al2O3, Fe2O3, ZSM-5, Silicalite, Al-MCM41) were used and the optimum pyrolysis temperatures were selected for each system based on evolved gas analysis. The results from catalytic cracking were compared and evaluated in terms of the number of compounds produced, the ratio between aromatic and aliphatic products, and the intensity of the peaks. It was found that the best choice for the decomposition of ABS is Fe2O3 and for HIPS the Al-MCM41. γ-Al2O3 affects PC degradation and CaO exhibits specific selectivity to this polymer. Pyrolysis of blends results in the production of a mixture of hydrocarbons together with other aliphatic and aromatic compounds. Polymer blends including chlorinated compounds such as PVC start degrading at relatively low temperatures, slightly over 200 °C. Degradation occurs in two steps with peaks around 300 and 465 °C, respectively. The first is attributed to the removal of halogenated compounds and the second to the scission of the main carbon chain. PVC degradation produces chlorine radicals that affect the degradation mechanism. The presence of the catalysts did not significantly change the temperatures of degradation. However, they do change the type of the products obtained. Pyrolysis of the styrenic polymers, i.e. ABS or HIPS resulted in mainly aromatic compounds with one, two or even three aromatic rings, whereas PC results in several phenols. CaO is proposed as the best choice for catalytic cracking of Blend A, whereas Silicalite should be considered for Blend B since it leads in the production of more aromatic compounds compared to conventional pyrolysis.

Strong degradation of polycarbonate and polystyrene by the CO2 capture solvent diethyl sebacate

AbstractWe report on observations of strong degradation of a polycarbonate vessel by a solvent being considered for a CO2 capture process, diethyl sebacate. This degradation led to failure of a polymeric hollow fiber membrane unit. Additional tests showed rapid degradation of polycarbonate safety glasses and polystyrene‐based petri dishes by exposure to diethyl sebacate at ambient conditions. We also report on safe operations with diethyl sebacate in extensive experiments studying the corrosion of steel in CO2‐pressurized reactors lined with PTFE and using PTFE gaskets. Used diethyl sebacate was also stored for long time periods in bottles made from low‐density polyethylene bottles without physical deterioration. These observations indicate that care must be taken in development of new contactors and processes for CO2 capture with diethyl sebacate and related solvents and in the choice of material for storage.

Solvent-induced competing processes in polycarbonate degradation: depolymerization, chain scission, and branching/crosslinking

Catalyzed by copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs), polycarbonate (PC) degradation exhibits different degradation behaviors in varying solvents, showing competitive processes of chain scission, branching, and crosslinking.

The Evaluation of Simulated Environmental Degradation of Polycarbonate Filled with Inorganic and Organic Reinforcements.

This research aimed to examine the mechanical properties of polycarbonate-based composites filled with both organic and inorganic reinforcements before and after simulated environmental degradation. Series of polycarbonate-based samples were prepared in the form of thin tapes. Their rheological properties were examined. Then, the samples were exposed to artificial environmental conditions. Finally, their rheological properties were examined once more, and the results were compared with those obtained for untreated samples. This paper presents basic research on the application of inorganic fillers to polycarbonate in order to determine the influence of the filler on the behavior of the obtained material. The aim of the work was to determine the usefulness and purpose of using this type of filler in polycarbonates for applications in contact with ultraviolet radiation, especially medical applications.

Hydrolytic degradation of isosorbide-based polycarbonates: Effects of terminal groups, additives, and residue catalysts

The hydrolysis degradation of bisphenol-A polycarbonate (BPA-PC), isosorbide (ISB)-co-1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) polycarbonate (IcC-PC), and BPA-PC/IcC-PC reactive blends were systematically investigated. The terminal hydroxyl groups of BPA-PC, thermally derived chemical structure on IcC-PC chains, and derivatives from phosphite antioxidants trigger severe hydrolysis degradation. 1H-NMR analysis shows that carbonate groups connected to the BPA unit are most susceptible to hydrolysis, followed by ISB and CHDM units, demonstrating that the acidity of monomers plays a key role in the hydrolysis degradation of polycarbonates. Residual catalysts may cause significant hydrolysis in BPA-PC/IcC-PC reactive blends. Hydrolysis prefers to occur on the exo position of ISB unit with a low steric hindrance rather than on the endo position with a high electrophilicity, indicating that the residual catalyst acts as a Lewis acid and likely promotes hydrolysis through coordination mechanism. The hydrolysis resistance of BPA-PC/IcC-PC blends with a Na-based catalyst is lower than that of blends with K- and Cs-based catalysts because of the strong coordination ability.

Borane-Catalyzed Block Copolymerization and Selective Polycarbonate Degradation

Borane-Catalyzed Block Copolymerization and Selective Polycarbonate Degradation

Biodegradation of bisphenol-A polycarbonate plastic by Pseudoxanthomonas sp. strain NyZ600

Bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) is a widely used engineering thermoplastic and its release has caused damage to the ecosystem. Microbial degradation of plastic represents a sustainable approach for PC reduction. In this study, a bacterial strain designated Pseudoxanthomonas sp. strain NyZ600 capable of degrading PC was isolated from activated sludge by using diphenyl carbonate as a surrogate substrate. Within a 30-day period of incubating with strain NyZ600, PC films were analyzed with atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscope, water contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scan calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis technique. The analyses results indicated that the treated PC films were bio-deteriorated and formed some “corrosion pits” on the PC film surface. In addition, strain NyZ600 performed broad depolymerization of PC indicated by the reduction of Mn from 23.55 to 16.75 kDa and Mw from 45.67 to 31.97 kDa and two degradation products bisphenol A and 4-cumylphenol (the two monomers of PC) were also found, which established that PC were biodegraded by strain NyZ600. Combing all above results, it is clear that the strain NyZ600 can degrade PC which provides a unique example for bacterial degradation of PC and a feasibility for the removal of PC waste.

Generation of microplastic particles during degradation of polycarbonate films in various aqueous media and their characterization

A 250-day batch experiment was conducted to examine the generation of microplastic particles from degradation of polycarbonate films in 3 aqueous media of environmental relevance. The microplastic particles generated from the experiment were characterized by SEM/EDS and micro-FTIR analysis. Hydrolysis was responsible for the cleavage of carbon-oxygen bonds in the carbonate group of polycarbonate backbone and detachment of micro-sized plastic particles from the PC film surfaces. The deionized water treatment had the highest concentration of total organic carbon and the greatest number of microplastic particles among the three treatments. Either elevated acidity or the presence of hydroxyl radical did not enhance the hydrolytic degradation of the PC films and generation of microplastic particles though hydroxyl radical caused oxidative degradation of polycarbonate by attacking the organic group but not the carbonate group. Bisphenol A was not detected in any of the treatments. The microplastic particles generated from the current experiment were highly irregular, which may have different physicochemical and toxic behaviours from the spheric synthetic ones that were frequently used in toxicity experiments.

Towards enhanced understanding of synergistic effects in co-pyrolysis of pinewood and polycarbonate

Utilization of biomass and plastic wastes has drawn growing attention in recent years as it offers promising pathway for simultaneous energy production and waste disposal. In this paper, the co-pyrolysis of pinewood and polycarbonate was performed in a fixed bed reactor with focus on determining the extent of synergistic effects and unraveling the underlying synergistic mechanism. The extent of synergistic effects was quantified via direct comparison of the results from co-pyrolysis of pinewood-polycarbonate mixture with the weighted average values from individual components pyrolysis. The observed synergistic effects were further deconvolved into different component interactions (such as volatiles-volatiles interactions, volatiles-feedstocks interaction, and catalytic effects of chars) using tailored feedstock configurations to gain more insights into the synergistic mechanism. The results showed that co-pyrolysis enhancedH2 by 33%, CO by 26%, and total syngas yields by 19% as compared to their weighted values from individual pyrolysis. Co-pyrolysis also exhibited superiority in energy recovery as the overall energy efficiency was noticeably promoted from 42.9% to 48.6%. Deconvolution of synergistic effects revealed that volatiles-volatiles interactions were the primary contributor for the enhancement of H2 and CO. Examination of volatiles-feedstock interactions indicated that the highly reactive pinewood volatiles facilitated polycarbonate degradation, while polycarbonate volatiles were relatively stable and unable to promote pinewood decomposition. Furthermore, pinewood char catalytically enhanced polycarbonate degradation. This paper provides a deconvolved understanding of synergistic effects in co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and polycarbonate wastes, which is very helpful in designing clean and efficient energy recovery systems from these waste resources.

Influence of Char Intermediates on Synergistic Effects During Co-Pyrolysis of Pinewood and Polycarbonate

Abstract Combined use of plastic and biomass wastes offers promising pathway for simultaneous energy production and waste disposal. In this article, the co-pyrolysis of pinewood and polycarbonate (PC) was performed in a fixed bed reactor to quantify their synergistic interaction on the product output and determine the effect of char intermediates on the synergistic effects. The extent of synergistic effects was obtained via a direct comparison of results from co-pyrolysis of pinewood–polycarbonate mixture with the weighted average values from pyrolysis of individual components. The observed synergistic effects were further examined from the influence of char intermediates using tailored feedstock configurations to gain more insights into the synergistic mechanism. The results showed co-pyrolysis resulted in enhancement by 33% in H2, 26% in CO, and 19% in total syngas yields compared to their weighted values from individual pyrolysis. Co-pyrolysis also exhibited superiority in energy recovery with the overall energy efficiency promoted from 42.9% to 48.6%. Deconvolution of synergistic effects revealed that pinewood char catalytically enhanced PC degradation, while the effect of PC char on pinewood pyrolysis was minimal. This article provides results on deconvolved understanding of synergistic effects in co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and PC wastes, which is very helpful in designing clean and efficient energy recovery systems from these waste resources.

Degradation of polycarbonate to produce bisphenol A catalyzed by imidazolium-based DESs under metal-and solvent-free conditions.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an important chemical raw material, but the traditional preparation process of BPA is costly and complicated, so it is necessary to find an efficient and environmentally friendly method for the production of BPA. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted widespread attention due to their low cost, low toxicity, low melting point, non-volatilization, easy preparation, recyclablility and biodegradability. In this work, a series of imidazolium-based DESs were synthesized and used for the degradation of polycarbonate (PC), and BPA was obtained from the methanolysis of PC catalyzed by DESs under metal- and solvent-free conditions. It was found that imidazolium-based DES [EmimOH]Cl-2Urea showed excellent catalytic activity and reusability. Under the optimized reaction conditions (the mass ratio of DES to PC is 0.1 : 1, the molar ratio of CH3OH to PC is 5 : 1, 120 °C, reaction time 2 h), the PC conversion and BPA yield were almost 100% and 98%, respectively. Moreover, the kinetics of methanolysis catalyzed by [EmimOH]Cl-2Urea was investigated in the temperature range 100–120 °C, and the results indicated that it is a pseudo-first order reaction with an activation energy of 133.59 kJ mol−1. In addition, a possible catalytic mechanism of PC methanolysis is proposed.

Pyrolytic degradation kinetics of HIPS, ABS, PC and their blends with PP and PVC

The thermal behavior and pyrolytic degradation kinetics of main engineering polymers, high impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) and their blends with polypropylene (PP) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), representing typical plastic parts of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) were studied. Thermogravimetry (TG) pyrolysis experiments revealed that the thermal degradation of HIPS and PC occurred in a single step, whereas that of ABS and both blends underwent a two-consecutive, partially overlapping degradation steps, whose peaks related to the first-order derivative of TG were deconvoluted into two distinct processes. The first blend (HIPS, ABS, PC, PP) showed a thermal degradation reliance of the single polymer components, whereas this was not observed in the second blend (HIPS, ABS, PC, PP, PVC) investigated. A kinetic analysis was made using either the integral isoconversional method of Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) or the differential Friedman method. Both blends exhibit low activation energies in the first degradation step (near 90 kJ/mol) whereas much higher (in the vicinity of 200 kJ/mol) in the second.

Prediction of polycarbonate degradation in natural atmospheric environment of China based on BP-ANN model with screened environmental factors

The degradation of polycarbonate (PC) varies with different service environments. To predict the degradation of PC in atmospheric environments, a back propagation artificial neural networks (BP-ANNs) model was constructed based on datasets from long-term exposure tests in 13 representative cities of China. Based on the analysis by Pearson correlation method and factor analysis, as well as the ranking of environment parameters that influence degradation performance by grey correlation method, 4 key environment parameters were identified. To obtain the optimized model, BP-ANNs with different input environmental parameters, middle layers and training precision were compared. The high prediction accuracy and generalization ability of the well-trained BP-ANN were verified using datasets from atmospheric weathering conducted in three new locations. Furthermore, a high-resolution predictive map for PC degradation was drawn based on the yellow indices which were predicted by inputting the 4 key environment parameters of 804 cites in China. Results showed PC degrades most seriously in the tropical monsoon climate area and plateau climate area, but slightly in the temperate monsoon climate area in the northeastern, and subtropical monsoon climate area in the southwestern basin of China. The model developed in this study would benefit to the rapid design, selection and evaluation of PC-based components in atmospheric service environments.

Transparent PC/PMMA Blends Via Reactive Compatibilization in a Twin-Screw Extruder.

The effect of different catalysts on reactive compatibilization of 50/50 polycarbonate (PC)/polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) blends achieved via transesterification that occurs during compounding in a twin-screw extruder was investigated on a phenomenological (optical and mechanical properties), mesoscopic (phase morphology), and molecular level (PC-graft(g)-PMMA-copolymer formation and polymer molecular weight degradation). Formation of PC-(g)-PMMA-copolymer by transesterification resulting in transparent mono-phase PC/PMMA blends with obviously improved compatibility of the two polymer constituents requires use of a suitable catalyst. As a side-effect, PC-(g)-PMMA-copolymer formation by transesterification is always accompanied by a significant simultaneous decomposition of the molecular weight (Mw) of the PC. For the first time, a colorless, transparent (mono-phase) PC/PMMA 50/50 blend was achieved by a twin-screw extrusion process that can be easily transferred into industrial scale. To achieve this milestone, 0.05 wt% of a weakly acidic phosphonium salt catalyst had to be applied. As a result of the decrease in Mw of the PC, the mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strain at break and impact strength) of the obtained blends were significantly deteriorated rather than improved as targeted by the polymer compatibilization; therefore, the produced transparent PC/PMMA blends are considered not yet technically suitable for any industrial applications. Different manufacturing process strategies that do not inherently result in PC degradation as a side effect of PC-graft(g)-PMMA-copolymer formation have to be developed to potentially achieve transparent PC/PMMA blends with a useful balance of properties. Based on the experimental observations of this study, a new mechanism of the transesterification reaction occurring during reactive compounding of PC and PMMA in the presence of the effective catalysts is proposed.

Effect of Nanosilica on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Carbon Fiber/Polycarbonate Laminates

An investigation of nanosilica (SiO2), influencing the mechanical and thermal attributes of carbon fiber (CF)/polycarbonate (PC) laminates, is described in this study. Polycarbonates with four different weight percentages of SiO2 (PC-SiO2, 0.1, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.0 wt%) were prepared using a melt-blending technique. The PC-SiO2 nanocomposites were then used to fabricate planar CF/PC laminates through a hot hydraulic press machine. The prepared laminates were characterized by a number of different techniques; namely, tensile tests, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tensile test findings revealed that when 0.6 wt% of SiO2 was added to the laminate layers, the maximum tensile modulus and yield stress were achieved. The mechanical properties obtained by DMTA supported the tensile test results. It should be noted that the 0.6 wt% of SiO2 had the highest mechanical properties. The DMTA and DSC analyses were used to measure the glass transition temperatures (Tg) of laminates. We found that with the addition 0.6 wt% of SiO2 the Tg increased to approximately 1°C compared to 0 °C for the neat CF/PC laminate, meaning that by adding up 0.1 to 0.6 nanosilica to the polymer, the value Tg first increased and then decreased. To characterize the mass loss, the thermal degradation of polycarbonate influenced by nitrogen was investigated through TGA. According to our TGA results, the highest thermal stability was achieved by adding 0.6 wt% of SiO2 to the PC.

Pyrolysis mechanism and thermal degradation kinetics of poly(bisphenol A carbonate)-based polymers originating in waste electric and electronic equipment

Poly(bisphenol A carbonate) or polycarbonate (PC) constitutes a significant fraction of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, mainly due to its high production and consumption rate and its variety of applications. Traditional methods for its treatment no longer appear to provide long-term solutions and for this reason, the investigation of thermochemical methods and more specifically pyrolysis as a potential recycling method took place in the current study. In the first part of this study, pyrolysis studies of polycarbonate have been performed in a Pyrolizer equipped with GC–MS, at five different reactor temperatures, in order to facilitate the understanding of the degradation mechanism. Higher pyrolysis temperatures were found to be more suitable for PC pyrolysis, since they increased the volatile fractions (liquid and gaseous). The gaseous fraction consisted mainly of CO2, CH4 and CO, whereas in the liquid fraction a large amount of different phenolic compounds, including the monomer bisphenol A was recorded. Based on the findings, it has been suggested that the main degradation pathway follows a chain scission mechanism and that the scission of the isopropylidene linkage is the first step. Phenols and phenolic compounds were formed through a series of scission and hydrolysis reactions. In the second part, pyrolysis kinetics of PC are investigated in detail using thermogravimetric experimental data, collected at several heating rates and several either model-free (isoconversional) or model-fitting models. From the isoconversional kinetic analysis the effective activation energy was fund to increase with the extent of conversion, ranging from 146 to 189 kJ/mol and from 154 to 215 kJ/mol, when using the integral method of Tang (similar to the KAS) or the differential method of Friedman, respectively. A simple first order kinetic model was found to simulate excellent the experimental data, though predicting different activation energies and pre-exponential factors at each heating rate employed. The random scission and the autocatalytic models were investigated in detail and the best fit to the experimental data at all different heating rates was found to be the autocatalytic model with n = 1.15 and m = 0.46 (values close to those considered for the random scission model with L = 2, i.e. n = 1.119 and m = 0.4) using an average activation energy, E = 195.9 kJ/mol and pre-exponential factor A = 6.06 1012 min−1. Having a detailed knowledge of the PC degradation kinetics and mechanism will help in better design of large scale process for the recycling of such material originating in WEEE and provide targeted value-added products.

Mesoporous alumina modified calcium catalyst for alcoholysis of polycarbonate

Abstract Calcium-fuctionalized mesoporous γ-alumina was synthesized for alcoholysis of Polycarbonate (PC). Compared with the traditional homogeneous depolymerization process, such alcoholysis process presents a higher capacity, more time effective and environmental benign. Benefited from such mild condition, the operation can be continuously performed without any equipment corrosion occurring. Such mesoporous γ-alumina composite can be synthesized in one step sol-gel method by utilizing aluminium isopropoxide, calcium nitrate as basic precursors and Pluronic P123 as a structure directing agent. One-pot method can effectively avoid the loss of active components namely Ca species in comparison to conventional impregnation method. As for the reasons leading to such great degradation efficiency, one is the strengthened basicity supplied by the introduction of Ca species, the other is the typical mesoporous nanostructure which is beneficial for improving the kinetic driving force, in other words, the synergistic effects make the superior work efficiency for PC degradation. The operation conditions were optimized including the molar ratio of Ca/Al, temperature, methanol and tetrahydrofuran (THF) dosage and Ca-Al2O3 dosage. Under such optimum conditions, the conversion of PC was approximately 100 wt.% . The catalyst endures a long recycle without any obvious inactive tendency as well as remained mesoporous structure. The transesterification kinetic behaviors were also investigated with an activation energy of 153 kJ/mol. In addition, a plausible catalysis mechanism for the methanolysis of PC was proposed.

Time resolved characterization of the solid-state reaction between polycarbonate and primary amine

Polycarbonate can be functionalized with specific moieties such as amino groups. A novel approach for functionalization is based on a process integrated surface modification, e.g. during the injection molding process. However, the solid-state reaction routes are complex, not well investigated and difficult to control. In this study the solid state reaction of polycarbonate with octadecylamine was studied by using infrared spectroscopy and 2D correlation analysis. The infrared spectrum taken after 20 min reaction time shows the formation of urethane as an interfacial linker between polycarbonate and octadecylamine. Furthermore, bisphenol-A, also formed initially, indicates a degradation of polycarbonate. The solid-state reaction during 360 min processing time was investigated by 2D correlation analysis. The 2D correlation maps indicate a progress in the degradation of polycarbonate and the formation of biuret and urea. No more urethane is formed during longer processing time. This study demonstrates that a surface modification of polycarbonate with octadecylamine requires a very short reaction time in order to ensure an optimized interfacial link and to minimize the degradation of the materials.