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Recycling of Polyurethane Waste: Facile Hydrothermal Conversion Using Acidic and Basic Additives.

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Hydrothermal treatment effectively breaks down polyurethane (PU) into its monomers. Organic amine catalysts, particularly ethylenediamine, significantly enhance PU chemical recycling and monomer yield.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Polyurethane (PU) is a versatile plastic with widespread applications.
  • Chemical recycling is crucial for achieving circular economy principles for PU.
  • Hydrothermal treatment offers a promising route for PU depolymerization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hydrothermal depolymerization of PU.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of acidic and basic catalysts in this process.
  • To identify the most effective catalyst for maximizing PU conversion and monomer yield.

Main Methods:

  • Hydrothermal treatment of PU under varying conditions (non-catalytic and catalytic).
  • Testing of different catalysts: inorganic acids (H2SO4), inorganic bases (NaOH), organic acids (acetic acid), and organic amines (ethylenediamine).
  • Analysis of PU conversion and yield of 2,4-toluenediamine (TDA).

Main Results:

  • Both non-catalytic and catalytic hydrothermal treatments successfully depolymerized PU.
  • Catalysts significantly improved PU conversion and TDA yield compared to non-catalytic methods.
  • Organic amines demonstrated superior catalytic activity over inorganic acids and bases.
  • Ethylenediamine achieved the highest TDA yield (13.6 wt%) and PU conversion (28.2%) at 180°C.

Conclusions:

  • Hydrothermal treatment is an effective method for the chemical recycling of PU.
  • Organic bases, especially ethylenediamine, are highly effective catalysts for PU depolymerization.
  • The enhanced performance of organic bases is linked to their interaction with zwitterions and phase distribution.