Polycarbonate Waste Management using Glycerol

Recycling method of polycarbonate (PC) plastic using glycerol is proposed as a novel green method. Glycerol was found as an efficient reagent for chemical recycling of PC and gives upto 98% monomer recovery, which is compatible with any of existing chemical recycling methods. Recycling involves digestion followed by glycerolysis reaction of PC. The various products thus obtained are Bisphenol A (BPA); mono glycerol ether of BPA and di glycerol ether of BPA. Addition of urea improves the yield toward more alkoxylated products, controls the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein at reaction temperature and improves the application of glycerol as a reagent. Temperature programmed FTIR spectra study provides a mechanistic picture of the proposed chemical recycling. Glycerol carbonate and glycerol urethane was found as the important reaction intermediates. The process works well with industrial grade glycerol to improve the economy in this process. Furthermore, a working model of the recycling of post-user optical disc is also proposes. (C) 2016 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.