Studies on the dechlorination and oil-production technology of waste plastics

 Recycle technology for waste plastics containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been developed in the Hokkaido National Industrial Research Institute for the production of solid and liquid fuel, and has established a recycling process which includes a dechlorination process for PVC plastics, and a two-stage catalytic pyrolysis process for plastics using zeolite catalysts. The dechlorination equipment consists of a two-axis screw extruder with a heating element, which can remove chlorine up to 99.9 wt. % from PVC containing plastics as hydrogen chloride. The product had about 44 000 kJ/kg calorific value and was fed into the next oil production process, although it could also be used as a solid fuel. Natural and synthetic zeolite were used as catalysts for the two-stage catalytic process, which produced a light oil with a boiling point which was between those of kerosene and gasoline. The yield of this oil reached 82 wt. %. The chemical type was analyzed using liquid chromatography, and was found to have many aromatic compounds. These technologies make it possible to produce a nonpolluting, high-calorie solid fuel and a liquid fuel very efficiently. Received: July 19, 2000 / Accepted: September 21, 2000     

废旧聚苯乙烯塑料的处理和利用

叙述了国内外废旧塑料处理和利用技术的发展现状 ,指出今后技术的发展方向应侧重于废旧塑料的收集和分离技术的研究开发 ,降低回收利用成本。     

废旧塑料综合利用新方法——高炉喷吹废塑料技术

介绍了废旧塑料综合利用的新方法－高炉喷吹废料技术。通过比较，表明高喷吹废塑料技术在各方面均优于废旧塑料的其他处理方法；并简要对我国高炉喷吹废塑料作了可行性论证。     

沼泽红假单胞菌累积聚β-羟基丁酸的研究

以沼泽红假单胞菌为材料,研究了不同培养条件下聚β-羟基丁酸(PHB)在微生物体内的累积情况,并用萃取、酯化及质谱联用(GC-MS)技术验证了菌体内累积的PHB。结果表明,在以醋酸钠为碳源、NH4+-N为氮源、中性pH的条件下,菌体内能够最大量的累积PHB,其累积量约为菌体(湿重)的50%。     

浙江省台州市电子垃圾拆解地多溴联苯醚浓度水平分布特征和迁移趋势

本研究分析了浙江省台州市电子垃圾拆解地及其周边表层土壤和大气中多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）的浓度水平.结果表明,台州市峰江和滨海的拆解园区、农田和居住区土壤中∑₁₂PBDEs含量（以dw计）范围分别为21.8~1310 ng ·g^-1和6.19~220 ng ·g^-1,PBDEs单体分布没有显著差异.峰江和滨海两地大气中∑₁₂PBDEs质量浓度范围分别为262~3240 pg ·m^-3和840~2990 pg ·m^-3,浓度中值分别为1410 pg ·m^-3和840 pg ·m^-3（冬季）、1590 pg ·m^-3和1960 pg ·m^-3（夏季）,除去BDE209外的11种PBDEs单体分布在冬夏两季呈现显著性差异.通过土-气交换逸度分析发现峰江和滨海PBDEs在土-气分布迁移趋势上呈现一定的差异性.峰江PBDEs的迁移趋势主要以土壤挥发为主,土壤是大气中3~5溴代BDEs的排放源,温度的升高可以促进这一过程,这说明峰江土壤中PBDEs已成为污染释放源,建议应对峰江电子垃圾拆解园区土壤和附近农田开展土壤修复.滨海PBDEs的迁移趋势则主要以大气沉降为主,土壤是PBDEs主要的汇,说明滨海的拆解园成为PBDEs的新排放源.     

一次性塑料制品的替代管理策略研究

一次性塑料是指生产生活中使用一次或几乎不重复利用的塑料,约占塑料总消费量的50%,是塑料制品的重要构成部分.近年来,随着电子商务的兴起,一次性塑料的生产和消费量迅速增长.随着人们对塑料以及由此引起的微塑料污染危害的认识不断提高,国际社会对削减一次性塑料污染的呼声日益高涨,迫切需要开发可持续、环境友好的替代品以减少一次性塑料的消费量.从全球范围来看,一次性塑料制品替代主要包括非塑料材料替代和可生物降解塑料材料替代两大类.建议我国尽快完善相关立法和标准,鼓励一次性塑料制品替代并加强替代产品的质量监管;为一次性塑料制品替代提供差别化的产业政策,提高环境友好替代产品的市场竞争力,同时还应将一次性塑料制品的环境治理成本纳入其价格成本;鼓励科技创新,研发更具市场竞争力的替代材料和产品;最后,还要唤起社会公众的共同参与,主动选择替代产品并减少一次性塑料制品的使用,才能从源头上解决塑料垃圾的污染问题.      

Development of a catalytic cracking process for converting waste plastics to petrochemicals

The catalytic degradation of polyolefin using H-gallosilicates was examined using a bench-scale reactor (0.8kg/h) with semicontinuous feeding and the following plastics: (1) low-density polyethylene (LDPE) pellets; (2) linear low-density polyethylene (L-LDPE) pellets; (3) high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pellets; (4) polypropylene (PP) pellets; (5) polyolefin obtained from pulverized industrial waste plastics. The yields of liquid compounds from these materials, which were aromatics in most cases, ranged from 55wt% to 68wt%. With an increase in the ratio of total reactant to catalyst, the liquid yield remained the same. Yields of benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTXs) decreased rapidly to below 50wt% at a ratio of more than 30. Differences in this ratio for BTXs were always small and were independent of the material. Only about half of the gas product was propane with a fresh catalyst. When the experiments were repeated, propylene, isobutane, and isobutene were found to increase.     

Waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens

The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), as its voluntary energy-saving action plan, proposed a 10% energy reduction by 2010 with 1990 as the basis. Further, it has suggested an additional 1.5% energy saving by the use of waste plastics as a metallurgical raw material. The amount of processing of waste plastics which corresponds to this amount of energy conversion is about 1 million t scale during 1 year. Conventional known methods for recycle-processing of waste plastics include, for example, the method of injection into a blast furnace to use waste plastics as an iron-ore reducing agent instead of coal. On the other hand, the coking process is considered to be suitable as a waste plastic recycling facility because the process involves coal carbonization in a high-temperature and reducing atmosphere. Carbonization tests with mixed waste plastics were conducted with laboratory equipment and in actual coke ovens. As a result, it was confirmed that the waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens is feasible. Therefore, a waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens was started as a chemical recycling technology at Nippon Steel.     

Development of a catalytic dehalogenation (Cl,Br) process for municipal waste plastic-derived oil

Dehalogenation is a key technology in the feedstock recycling of mixed halogenated waste plastics. In this study, two different methods were used to clarify the effectiveness of our proposed catalytic dehalogenation process using various carbon composites of iron oxides and calcium carbonate as the catalyst/sorbent. The first approach (a two-step process) was to develop a process for the thermal degradation of mixed halogenated waste plastics, and also develop dehalogenation catalysts for the catalytic dehydrochlorination of organic chlorine compounds from mixed plastic-derived oil containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) using a fixed-bed flow-type reactor. The second approach (a single-step process) was the simultaneous degradation and dehalogenation of chlorinated (PVC) and brominated (plastic containing brominated flame retardant, HIPS–Br) mixed plastics into halogen-free liquid products. We report on a catalytic dehalogenation process for the chlorinated and brominated organic compounds formed by the pyrolysis of PVC and brominated flame retardant (HIPS–Br) mixed waste plastics [(polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS)], and also other plastics. During dehydrohalogenation, the iron- and calcium-based catalysts were transformed into their corresponding halides, which are also very active in the dehydrohalogenation of organic halogenated compounds. The halogen-free plastic-derived oil (PDO) can be used as a fuel oil or feedstock in refineries.     

The influence of soil macroinvertebrates on primary biodegradation of starch-containing polyethylene films

The primary biodegradability of polyethylene (PE) films containing different percentages of cornstarch (0–50%) and other additives (prooxidant, oxidized polyethylene) was tested using four species of earthworms (Eisenia fetida, Lumbricus terrestris, Aporectodea trapezoides, Aporectodea tuberculata), three species of cockroaches (Periplaneta americana, Blaberus sp.,Blattella germanica), termites (Reticulotermes flavipes), sowbugs (Porcellio laevis), and crickets (Acheta domesticus). These studies were conducted to elucidate the potential role of soil macroinvertebrates in degrading starch/PE biodegradable plastics. The results of the macroinvertebrate bioassays indicate that crickets, cockroaches, and sowbugs consumed starch-containing PE films most readily. In addition, the degree to which the films were attacked and consumed was directly related to the starch content of the film. Films with oxidized polyethylene and those containing prooxidant (vegetable oil and a transition metal catalyst) were also consumed. None of the four species of earthworms tested or the termites showed any activity toward the starch/polyethylene films. These results have important implications for determining the fate of novel plastic formulations which claim to be biodegradable in natural environments. Studies such as these, coupled with studies on microbial degradation, will help provide the type of information needed to assess the environmental fate of biodegradable starch/PE plastics and fill the voids in the scientific database regarding this rapidly developing field.