Method for recovering mixed plastic matter

Abstract

A process for treating mixed plastics waste that comprises macromolecular polymers and low molecular weight polymers is described. The process includes the steps of: introducing the mixed plastics waste into an organic solvent to produce a suspension, the solvent being one in which at least one of the macromolecular polymers is soluble at a specific temperature; maintaining the suspension at a normal pressure and at an operating temperature at which none of the macromolecular polymers dissolve; extracting the low molecular weight polymers from the mixed plastics waste to produce a solution containing dissolved low molecular weight polymers and an extracted mixed plastics waste; and removing the extracted mixed plastics waste. The process can include additional steps, such as dissolving at least one of the macromolecular polymers at a temperature (T1) that is different from the operating temperature and separating the dissolved macromolecular polymer from the remaining polymers before dissolving the low molecular weight polymers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.