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Plastics Waste - Feedstock Recycling, Chemical Recycling and Inceration
Product Code: 00/148
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> Publications > Environment > Plastics Waste - Feedstock Recycling, Chemical Recycling and Inceration
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Rapra Review Reports, Vol. 13, No. 4, Report 148, 2002
By A. Tukker, TNO
SUMMARY...
Protection of our environment is now a global priority and legislation is
being introduced in regions such as the European Union to ensure that
material usage is maximised. Much of the development work has been
pioneered in Germany which introduced very strict recycling laws. This
report examines the issue of converting Plastics Waste into energy and/or
useful chemicals.
Polymers are generally derived from fossil fuels which are being gradually
depleted. Much plastic material is discarded as waste, such as packaging
and end-of-life vehicle components. It is essential that we find means to
preserve fossil fuels and to reuse materials in some form. Life cycle
analysis is being performed on the different methods of disposing of waste
plastics to discover the most environmentally friendly methods. Mechanical
recycling is often discussed but it is limited by the need to separate and
clean used plastics prior to recycling.
This report introduces the different waste management options. It discusses
the methods available for treating mixed plastics waste and PVC-rich
plastics waste. PVC can cause problems in some processes due to the
chlorine content, which can cause corrosion of equipment and potentially
generate hazardous gas on combustion. The emphasis in this report is on
technologies which are already being used or assessed for use on a
commercial scale. Comparisons are made between the different types of
recycling currently available in terms of life cycle assessment and
environmental impact.
The EU draft directive on Packaging waste includes definitions of the types
of recycling. Chemical recycling implies a change of the chemical structure
of the material, but in such a way that the resulting chemicals can be used
to produce the original material again. Such processes include monomer
recover. There are few commercial techniques available which accomplish
this, one outstanding example is nylon carpet recycling.
Feedstock recycling is discussed extensively in this review. It is defined
as a change in the chemical structure of the material, where the resulting
chemicals are used for another purpose than producing the original material.
Methods have been developed including the Texaco gasification process,
polymer cracking, the BASF conversion process, the Veba Combi cracking
process, BSL incineration process, the Akzo Nobel steam gasification
process, the Linde gasification process, the NKT pyrolysis process and
pressurised fixed bed gasification from SVZ. Typical feedstocks generated
include synthesis gas, containing mainly CO and H2. By-products such as
chlorides are generally sold on for other processes and slag can be used in
applications such as building. Energy released during these processes is
generally used or recovered.
Alternatives to feedstock recycling include cement kilns (energy recovery),
the Solvay Vinyloop PVC-recovery process, mechanical recycling, landfill and
municipal solid waste incinerators (energy recovery). These processes are
briefly discussed and compared to feedstock recycling as methods of
disposing of plastics wastes. The commercial viability of each process is
examined.
This report is accompanied by around 400 abstracts from papers in the Rapra
Polymer Library. This selection includes references to feedstock and
chemical recycling, but also methods of energy recovery and the Vinyloop
process.
KEY FEATURES...
* Feedstock recycling
* Chemical recycling
* Incineration
* Solvay Vinyloop process
* Commercial considerations
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...
Dr. Arnold Tukker is a manager at TNO, Netherlands and a chemist by
training. He has published widely in the field of eco-efficiency and waste
management, with reports for the EU among others on topics such as PVC waste
management. His focus is on practical, applied solutions to problems rather
than theoretical research.
CONTENTS...
1 Introduction
2 Plastics Waste Recycling: An Overview
3 Feedstock Recycling of Mixed Plastic Waste
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Texaco Gasification Process
3.3 The Polymer Cracking Process (Consortium Project)
3.4 The BASF Conversion Process
3.5 Use of Mixed Plastic Waste in Blast Furnaces
3.6 Veba Combi Cracking Process
3.7 SVZ Gasification Process
4 Feedstock Recycling of PVC-Rich Waste
4.1 Introduction
4.2 BSL Incineration Process
4.3 Akzo Nobel Steam Gasification Process
4.4 Linde Gasification Process
4.5 NKT Pyrolysis Process
5 Dedicated Chemical Recycling for Specific Plastics
5.1 Introduction
5.2 PET
5.3 PUR
5.4 Nylon from Carpets
6 Other Treatment Options for Mixed Plastic Waste
6.1 Alternatives to Feedstock Recycling
6.2 The Vinyloop PVC-Recovery Process
6.3 Cement Kilns (Energy Recovery)
6.4 Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators (with Energy Recovery)
6.5 Mechanical Recycling and Landfill
7 Pros and Cons of the Different Treatment Routes
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Discussion of Environmental Effects
7.3 Discussion of Economic Aspects
8 Overall Conclusions
Rapra Technology Limited, 2002
Price: £80.00 (Ex VAT)
This product has a maximum purchase quantity of 1.
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