Polymer Recycling

Provides an overview of state-of-the-art recycling techniques together with current and potential applications.

• Presents material that is normally only available in the form of conference proceedings
• Includes flow charts detailing the recycling process
• Helps identify the problems encountered in the recycling of polymers
• Presents pie graphs and photographs of commercial outlets

A comprehensive volume which will prove to be invaluable for polymer manufacturers, recyclers and marketers as well as environmental authorities and materials engineers.

Aufgrund wachsender Besorgnis über Plastikwerkstoffe und deren Beitrag zur Umweltverschmutzung wurde das Recycling von Polymeren zu einem Kernthema in Politik und Wirtschaft. Diese längst überfällige Publikation faßt in einem Band Material zusammen, das bislang nur in Form von Tagungsberichten verfügbar war. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf Polymeren, deren Recycling bisher problematisch war, wie z.B. Autoreifen, Polyurethanschäume und Konstruktionsmaterialien. Detailliert werden die Fortschritte des Polymerrecycling besprochen - vom Sortierstadium bis hin zu einzelnen Recyclingprozessen und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten des Endprodukts: Ein Abriß aktuellster Recyclingtechniken. (8/98)
Sorting and Separation Techniques.

Size Reduction of Recycled Plastics.

Melt Filtration of Contamination in Recycled Polymers.

Recycling of PET.

Recycling of Polyolefins.

Recycling of PVC.

Polystyrene Recycling.

Nylon Recycling.

Recycling of Engineering Thermoplastics.

Recycling of Polyurethanes.

Recycling of Polymers Composities.

Rubber Tyre Recycling.

Feedstock Recycling--Pyrolysis, Hydrogenation and Gasification.

Incineration of Plastic Waste with Energy Recovery.

Plastics Lumber Based on Recycled Polymers.

Index.

Dr. John Scheirs has worked extensively with poly and related polyesters. His early work involved studying the UV stability of PET and poly- ethylene naphthalate - in France and later he was involved with studying various industrial problems involving polyesters, such as photodegradation, annealing, crystallization behaviour, embrittlement, degradation by aminolysis, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, environmental stress cracking, hydrolysis, nucleating agents, transesterification, injection moulding of recycled PET compounds, solid-state polycondensation, desiccant drying of PET and melt stabilization of PET. More recently in the period 1998-2000, he was the technical manager for Coca-Cola Amatil's world-first PET reforming plant which converts post-consumer PET bottles into high-grade, high IV palletized PET for direct reuse in new bottles and injection and sheet moulding applications. John Scheirs is now the principal consultant with ExcelPlas Polymer Technology where he specializes in polymer recycling chemistry, formulation, processing and testing.

The last six years have seen a great shift in plastics recycling from the mechanical recycling of the early nineties towards a more integrated approach in which feedstock recycling and the recovery of incineration energy is encouraged. Based on extensive research of the international recycling industry, this book describes technological advances in polymer recycling from the sorting stage through to recycling processes and end-use applications; provides an overview of state-of-the-art recycling techniques with current and potential applications and draws together and consolidates literature in this rapidly growing field. Due to widespread growing concern over the contribution of plastics to environmental pollution, a book which does all of the above is long overdue. In the US and Europe the recycling of polymers is a major political issue and has become an expanding commercial activity. Dr. Scheirs places significant emphasis on the recycling of automobile tyres, polyurethane foams, carpets, engineering plastics and fibre-reinforced composites, all of which had been previously thought to be hard to recycle.