US 5,386,055 A · Depolymerization process

Abstract

A process for depolymerizing polymers by selective, partial oxidation at supercritical or near supercritical conditions for water and wherein supercritical water or water near supercritical conditions is used as a solvent and reforming agent, is used to produce relatively high yields of the monomers originally used to produce the polymers. The invention provides an environmentally friendly process for recycling polymeric waste materials to generate valuable polymer feedstock in a closed oxidation process which is free of hazardous stack emissions. The polymers which can be recycled in accordance with the process can include typical amounts of conventional additive and other impurities without significantly affecting the overall conversion.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A process for depolymerizing polymeric material to obtain high product yields of low molecular weight compounds, the process comprising the steps of:

a) forming a reaction mixture of polymeric material, water at or near supercritical conditions, and an oxidant;
and
b) reacting the mixture at or near the supercritical condition for water to effect selective partial oxidation of the polymer contained within the polymeric material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Depolymerization process

Life of this patent

Depolymerization process

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29