Recycling Of PVC Research Articles

More Than 30 Years of PVC Recycling—Need for Regulation

More Than 30 Years of PVC Recycling—Need for Regulation

Inovyn tests PVC recycling

Inovyn tests PVC recycling

More than 30 Years of PVC Recycling in Europe—A Critical Inventory

PVC has a special status, as chlorine is a component of the polymer molecule. The properties of chlorine are the reason why the polymer molecule needs additivation. PVC is the mass plastic to which the most diverse and quantitatively largest number of additives are added. This makes PVC difficult to recycle. More than three decades ago, the PVC industry announced its commitment to improve the sustainability of the material through material recycling. We analysed the latest figures from the European PVC industry, ensuring that the statistics included the quantities that enter the market as recyclate. We also analysed the significance of replacing virgin PVC with recyclates. We conclude from this that, after a good three decades, the recycling result is rather meagre. The lion’s share of PVC waste in Europe is still going to waste-to-energy plants, where it tends to be a nuisance. The many announcements to close the chlorine cycle via waste incineration have not got very far either. And the announcements to expand chemical recycling in parallel have not been successful. On the basis of this stocktaking, we have analysed, in a second separately published part, which conclusions can be drawn for regulatory measures, building on a current ECHA investigation report.

Recent advances in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling

AbstractPolyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling is crucial for mitigating the environmental impact of PVC wastes, which take decades to decompose in landfills. This review examines the current state of PVC recycling processes, focusing on challenges and future research opportunities. It explores the types and sources of PVC wastes, including post‐consumer, industrial, and construction wastes. Conventional recycling methods such as mechanical, thermal, and chemical recycling are discussed, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and successful applications. Furthermore, recent advances in PVC recycling, including biological, plasma‐assisted, and solvent‐based recycling, are explored, considering their potential benefits and challenges. The review emphasizes the European context of PVC recycling, as the region has implemented regulatory initiatives and collaborations. It points out the Circular Economy Action Plan and directives targeting PVC waste management, which have promoted recycling and established a supportive framework. Challenges of current PVC recycling methods and technologies, such as low yield and high energy consumption, are identified. The review calls for the development of efficient and cost‐effective recycling technologies, along with improvements in recycling infrastructure and consumer awareness. Assessing the environmental and economic impacts, PVC recycling significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves resources compared to virgin PVC production. The economic benefits include job creation and reduced raw material costs.

AIMPLAS announces the EcoeFISHent project, argues for PVC recycling and considers the future of PVC legislation

On October 10, 2023, AIMPLAS announced its EcoeFISHent project in which it is developing food and cosmetic packaging products from ocean by-products such as fish gelatine and fishing nets within the EcoeFISHent project

Environmental assessment of a novel ionic-liquid based method for recycling of PVC in composite materials

Waste PVC is scarcely recycled due to its high chlorine content and its use in composite materials, which reduces the applicability of conventional waste treatment methods, including thermal, mechanical and chemical recycling. For this reason, alternative treatment options are being developed to increase the recyclability of waste PVC. This paper focuses on one such option which utilises ionic liquids (ILs) for material separation and dehydrochlorination of PVC contained in composite materials. Taking blisterpacks used as a packaging for medicines as an example of a composite material, the paper presents for the first time the life cycle environmental impacts of this novel PVC recycling method, in comparison with thermal treatment (low-temperature pyrolytic degradation of PVC). Three ILs were considered for the PVC recycling process: trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium chloride, bromide and hexanoate. The results suggested that the impacts of the process using the first two ILs were comparable, while the system with hexanoate-based IL had 7–229 % higher impacts. Compared to the thermal treatment of waste blisterpacks, the IL assisted process had significantly higher impacts (22–819 %) in all 18 categories considered due to the greater heat requirements and the IL losses. Reducing the latter would lower most impacts by 8–41 %, while optimising the energy requirements would reduce the impacts by 10–58 %. Moreover, recovering HCl would increase significantly the environmental sustainability of the process, resulting in net-negative impacts (savings) in most categories. Overall, these improvements would lead to lower or comparable impacts to those of the thermal treatment. The findings of this study will be of interest to the polymer, recycling and related industries, as well as to process developers.

Technic-economic analysis of pyrolysis to produce fuel oil

It was made a technic-economic analysis of the feasibility of implementing a pyrolysis plant for the production of fuel oil (FO) from plastic fractions of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). The catalytic pyrolysis process is carried out in a fixed bed reactor with a capacity of 4 m³ loaded with crushed and dry plastic waste (volumetric mass of 500 kg/m³), which is heated at a rate of 2 °C/min until the reaction temperature reaches 270 and 350 °C. Then, the pyrolysis process is then maintained at the established temperature for 6 hours. The retention time of the pyrolysis gases is 90 minutes. Each batch operation cycle lasts an average of 9 hours. It was evaluated production of FO from different plastic fractions resulting from MSW sorting in a medium-sized municipality. In scenario 1 (reference scenario), 1.04 and 3.63 ton/day of plastics of the MSW (PSW) are sent to recycling and landfill, respectively. Three alternative scenarios were defined and analyzed to implement plastic pyrolysis: scenario 2, 3.63 ton/day, the fraction of non-recycled PSW is considered for processing by pyrolysis; scenario 3, it is considered the recycling of PET and PVC, and the remaining PSW represents 4.36 ton/day, and it is considered for processing by pyrolysis; scenario 4, it is maintained the 4.36 ton/day of PSW as valorized by pyrolysis, and it is assumed that an additional 0.64 ton/day of PSW comes from an external source. The FO production costs were estimated at 1.50, 1.29, and 1.13 R$/L, approximately 41%, 49%, and 56% lower than the FO sale price (2.55 R$/L), for scenarios 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Costs of production per unit of energy (GJ) in FO are between 40.88 and 29.67 R$/GJ. The Net Present Value (NPV) of the solution, considering scenarios 2 to 4, increased from R$ 6.72×10 6 to R$ 11.29×10 6 . The positive NPV for the scenarios 2 to 4 indicates the economic viability of the pyrolysis plant. The pyrolysis system would need to operate between three and four years to recover the invested capital. The costs of the municipality with the destination of MSW can be reduced in 54.75%, from 139.48 to 63.12 R$/ton MSW, between the reference scenario and scenario 4.

Experimental study of the mechanical effect of bio-loads on PVC recycling

With the increase in plastic waste, recycling becomes an urgent necessity to reduce and revalue it. PVC is one of the most widely used types of plastic in the world, and indeed it is among the most recycled. The effect of recycling on PVC or any other type of material is to reduce these characteristics, which also depends on the method by which it is recycled. Finding a way to increase the recyclability number of PVC by improving the mechanical characteristics will be an addition at the level of scientific research as well as at the industrial level. The addition of a bio-loading in the form of cow horns, coconut or chicken feathers on the flexible PVC with an experimental study of the results obtained allow to deduce the most adequate bio-loaded material to improve the mechanical characteristics after recycling. The experiments carried out on flexible PVC have shown the effects of bio-loading as well as the degradation brought by recycling on this type of plastic. The results obtained showed an improvement in the mechanical properties of rigid and flexible PVC with a natural bio-loading with the three fibers of coconut, cow horns and chicken feathers which enhance the environment, are very light and can be collected directly from the waste with a large amount.

Co-pyrolysis of Fe3O4-poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) mixtures: Mitigation of chlorine emissions during PVC recycling

A systematic investigation was conducted onthe co-pyrolysisof Fe3O4and PVC mixtures in temperatures as high as 1373 K upon the development of PVC recycling technology that mitigates chlorine emission.Central to our investigation, PVC decomposition plays the leading role in the co-pyrolysis of Fe3O4and PVC mixtures following a two-stage pattern bifurcated at a temperature of 673 K. In Stage 1, at temperatures 673 K and lower, Fe3O4is chlorinated by chlorine from PVC, resulting in FeCl2. The composition of the final solid residue of Stage 1,conjugated polyene, FeCl2and Fe3O4/Fe2O3, depends on the initial Fe3O4content in the mixture. When the temperature is increased to be higher than 673 K, decomposition of conjugated polyene occurs simultaneously with the stepwise reduction of Fe3O4/Fe2O3: Fe2O3 → Fe3O4 → FeO → Fe. However, in mixtures containing Fe3O4that is less than 39.6% of the mass, Fe3O4can coexist with Fe; therefore, the FeO formation step is skipped. Most FeCl2escapes from the reaction system as vapor, showing the necessity of removing FeCl2at the end of Stage 1 to avoid harmful substance emission. The presence of Fe3O4can significantly suppress gaseous emissions, especially HCl originating from PVC decomposition. There was only 0.6% HCl by mass (2.4% PVC base by mass) released when co-pyrolyzing the PVC + 75% Fe3O4mixture due to the complete consumption of PVC and its decomposition products by Fe3O4. After separating FeCl2,which is a valuable chemical feedstock, by water-leaching the solid residue obtained at 673 K, the filtered residue,which is a mixture of Fe3O4/Fe2O3and polyene, was confirmedto be suitable for iron-making. The results clearly show the possibility of developing a PVC recycling technology with mitigated chlorine emissions by manipulating the amount of Fe3O4added.

Recovery of phosphorous from industrial waste water by oxidation and precipitation

ABSTRACTThis paper describes the development of a method for recovery of phosphorous from one of the waste waters at an Akzo Nobel chemical plant in Ale close to Göteborg. It was found that it is possible to transform the phosphorous in the waste water to a saleable product, i.e. a slowly dissolving fertilizer. The developed process includes oxidation of phosphite to phosphate with hydrogen peroxide and heat. The phosphate is then precipitated as crystalline struvite (ammonium magnesium phosphate) by the addition of magnesium chloride. The environmental impacts of the new method were compared with those of the current method using life cycle assessment. It was found that the methodology developed in this project was an improvement compared with the current practice regarding element resource depletion and eutrophication. However, the effect on global warming would be greater with the new method. There could however be several ways to decrease the global warming effect. Since most of the carbon dioxide emissions come from the production of magnesium chloride from carbonates, changing to utilization of a magnesium chloride from desalination of seawater or from recycling of PVC would decrease the carbon footprint significantly.

東アジアにおける塩化ビニル廃材のマテリアルフロー分析

Objective. In the construction industry, a large percentage of the disposed material parts, such as concrete and wood, are recycled in accordance with the “Construction Material Recycling Law.” Similar laws govern the recycling policies in other industries. PVC pipes are recycled by the “Japan PVC Pipe and Fittings Association” in Japan, and most of the recycled material is exported. Thus, observing the trends of the recycling system prevailing in East Asia, the aim of this research is to quantitatively comprehend the situation of the recycling system in Japan. In this study, we examine the PVC scrap material flow in Japan and other East Asian countries and quantitatively evaluate the PVC emissions and utilization of the recycled materials in each country. Results and Discussion. In this paper, we analyze the material flow of PVC products by investigating the amount of PVC production, emission, recycling, and final disposal. Firstly, we examined the amount of PVC produced in each country. PVC pipes are one of the main PVC products, with approximately 20% to 30% demand. On the other hand, the demand for PVC window frames differs in each country. In Korea and China, the frame is a popular product; however, in Japan and Taiwan, there is little demand. Secondly, we estimated the amount of emission. PVC scrap emissions in Japan peaked at 1,310 kton in 1999 and dropped to 1,180 kton in 2011. In Korea, they peaked at 600 kton in 2008 and dropped to 550 kton in 2011, whereas in Taiwan, they peaked at 900 kton in 2000 and dropped to 520 kton in 2011. The demand in China is rapidly increasing. The Chinese emission amounts have been the largest among the four countries since 1999. The Chinese emissions were 7,110 kton in 2011. Finally, we examined the amount of recycling and final disposal. In Japan, 11% of the total emissions are collected and recycled; 8% of the collected emissions are exported, and 3% are used as recycled material. Finally, 89% of the total emissions are disposed. In contrast, other East Asian counties, such as Korea and China, established a recycling system to manage the emitted scrapped PVC materials. In addition, they import recycled materials. Therefore, the status on PVC emissions’ management differs between these countries because of the differences in their emission problems and demands for PVC materials. While Korea and China focus on demand, Japan adopts policies that focus on the amount of emissions. Conclusions. The present analysis of the material flow reveals that a large amount of scrapped PVC materials emitted in Japan are exported and used in other East Asian countries. This system is affected by the demand in other countries. Therefore, reconstructing the rigid PVC recycling system of Japan should target the recycling situation of East Asia as a whole.

Study on Treatment and Recycling of Mercury from Waste Mercury Catalysts in China

CCP PVC production is the unique technology in China that consumes most mercury with annual consumption of nearly 10,000 t, about 70% of them entering waste mercuric chloride catalyst. The main supply of mercury for CCP PVC industry includes the production of primary mercury and recycling of waste mercuric chloride catalyst. The production of primary mercury will be constrained and phased out after the Minamata Convention on Mercury going into effect. Therefore, the recycling of waste mercuric chloride catalysts will be an important supply source of mercury before the phasing out of mercury in CCP PVC industry. Based on the investigation of current status of CCP PVC production and recycling of waste mercuric catalysts industry, this paper analyzes mercury content of waste mercuric chloride catalysts and mercury recycling rate of waste mercury catalyst recycling industry, and estimates less than 50% of cyclic use of mercury in CCP PVC industry. In view of low cyclic use rate of mercury and excessive production capacity of the industry, this paper puts forward policy recommendations in the following three areas such as strict implementation of mercury destiny reporting system, stricter management of environmental access conditions and demonstration and extension of close loop circulation mechanism of mercury.

Oil from poly(vinyl chloride): Unprecedented degradative chain scission under mild thermooxidative conditions

Surprising new results were obtained during our investigations on the thermooxidative degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in dioctyl phthalate, DOP (bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, DEHP), at 200 °C, i.e., in the range of the processing temperature of PVC. Enhanced dehydrochlorination of the polymer was found in DOP on the one hand. It is a striking observation that oily products are formed after 3 h of reaction time, on the other hand. GPC measurements proved that severe chain scission with nearly constant rate occurs under the applied mild conditions. FTIR and NMR analyses revealed the oxidation of the main PVC chain and simultaneous attachment of DOP to the polymer backbone in the course of the radical chain reaction of this oxidative process. Both the partially oxidized PVCs at lower and the oily products formed at longer degradation times may open new routes for PVC recycling, such as broadening its blending possibility with other polymers and polymeric waste materials.

Study of Effects of Waste PVC on the Properties of Bituminous Mixes

Waste PVC that has been used previously as mineral water bottles, pipes, electrical fittings etc. are biologically non-degradable and posed an ominous environmental problem which led to severe environmental impact. But molten PVC has a binding property which can be reused with bitumen to reduce the cost of bituminous mix. At the same time the recycling of waste PVC save disposal sites and to reduce the amount of inert drawn from quarries, which often lead to environmental problems. This paper describes the investigation of the properties of bitumen mixed with PVC (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 17.5% and 20% by the weight of bitumen) at optimum bitumen content and to check the design criteria of bituminous mixes using this bitumen-PVC binder. The investigation concentrated on the test of strength properties of coarse aggregates and Marshall Design properties of bituminous mixes according to the test procedure specified by AASHTO. Some of the measured properties of bituminous mix with bitumen-PVC binder used in this study were within the acceptable recommended limits. On the basis of experimental results of this investigation, it is concluded that the dense graded bituminous mixes with bitumen containing PVC up to 10% can be used for bituminous pavement construction in warmer region from the stand point of stability, stiffness and voids characteristics.

Upgrading of poly(vinyl chloride) by chemical modifications using sodium sulfide

The recycling of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is one of the most important issues in the treatment of waste plastics. To improve PVC recycling, it is necessary to develop new recycling techniques, including new techniques for the dechlorination of chlorine-containing polymers. It has been established that wet dechlorination of PVC in NaOH/ethylene glycol solution is more effective than dry dechlorination. In this study, the wet process was used, and the chemical modification of PVC by nucleophilic substitution was considered for upgrading waste PVC. Chlorine was substituted in solution by several nucleophilic reagents, thus changing the properties of PVC. The reaction of PVC in Na2S/ethylene glycol solution at 170°C resulted in the formation of a mixture comprising 32% elimination and 26% substitution products. The scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mappings and elementary analysis of PVC indicated that this chlorine-substitution process led to cross-linking by sulfur.

Coupled Recycling of PVC and Glass Wastes Producing Chlorine-Free Fuels and Cement Feed Stock

To utilize PVC and glass wastes in a landfill, a kinetic study was conducted for neutralization of HCl derived from PVC pyrolysis with sodium in soda glass. The effective diffusion coefficient of sodium at 550 degrees C was 3.3 x 10(-16) m2/s in steam atmosphere, but was 1.2 x 10(-17) m2/s in dry atmosphere. It was confirmed from experimental results in which considerable NaCl crystals were deposited on the surface of glass particles after 6 h reaction with particles of 25 microm in diameter that NaCl crystals' growth on the glass surface does not affect the neutralization rate rate in our experimental conditions. The effect of hydrothermal treatment was studied for the glass treated at 250 degrees C under a vapor pressure of 3.6 MPa for 5 h. Approximately 20 times higher rate than that of original glass was caused by the formation of the porous surface layer through which sodium ions can readily diffuse out The effect was not clear until steam pressure reached the above value. The absence of chlorine within the glass matrix was confirmed by EDS analysis on the cross section of glass cullets reacted with HCl gas. Neutralization of HCl gas with soda-glass conducted under steam atmosphere to increase the reaction rate is effective to recover energy and material from PVC and glass wastes.

Hydro Polymers starts up PVC recycling technology

Hydro Polymers starts up PVC recycling technology

Poly(vinyl chloride) on the way from the 19th century to the 21st century

AbstractDespite all the technical and economic problems and the public discussions on the environmental dangers and hazards of chlorine chemistry, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is the second most produced plastic (with a worldwide capacity of about 31 million tons), placing after polyolefins and before styrene polymers. Presently, PVC production worldwide is growing at a rate of more than 4% per year. The application of PVC was first described in a patent in 1913, but only after 1930 did a sustained interest in PVC arise in several industrial laboratories. The most remarkable milestones in PVC history and their importance to the development of macromolecular chemistry are briefly described, and some present PVC research and industrial applications, with respect to polymerization, stabilization, bulk property modification, and chemical and material recycling of PVC waste, are discussed. Some actual selected topics include the emulsion polymerization of vinyl chloride with polymeric surfactants and controlled free‐radical polymerization with nitroxyls, whereas ionic and metal organic initiators have not found any technical applications. Chemical reactions offer many possibilities for the modification of PVC, but they have been not used on a technical scale yet. Much work has been done on stabilization with nontoxic or metal‐free systems. The bulk properties of PVC can be influenced by impact modification through the addition of graft copolymers or by blending with other polymers. Also presented are some problems and recent developments in PVC recycling. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 578–586, 2004

PVC recycling may eventually affect fillers consumption

PVC recycling may eventually affect fillers consumption

Plasticizer leaching from flexible PVC in low temperature caustic solution

By separating plasticizer using alkali solution at low temperature, the recycling of PVC and plasticizer is possible. A low temperature leaching process has been developed and the performance of the process investigated. An experimental study using various concentrations of NaOH solutions at different temperatures and processing time shows that treatment with 5 M NaOH solution at 100 °C gives a selective separation of the plasticizer without dechlorination of PVC. Surface changes of the treated PVC have also been examined.