DMAP as an effective catalyst to accelerate the solubilization of waste fiber-reinforced plastics

Waste fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs), which are formidable composite plastics for chemical treatment, can be efficiently depolymerized by treatment with supercritical methanol in the presence of catalytic amounts of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP), which is a well-known catalyst for the formation of esters and amides. This novel depolymerization reaction also provides ready separation of the depolymerized products into three components: methanol-soluble oil, CHCl3-soluble solid, and an inorganic residue. Thus, almost complete decomposition of FRP as well as useful separation of the decomposed products was achieved with the present method, and the latter were ready for chemical recycling. Investigation of the reaction profile revealed that the reaction rate increased as the amount of DMAP increased. Unfortunately, DMAP employed in the reaction could not be recovered because of its decomposition catalyzed by dimethyl phthalate, a depolymerized product from waste FRP, under the reaction conditions employed.