Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2001 12:08:00 -0500 (EST) From: dan_loughlin@ncsu.edu (Dan Loughlin) Subject: Re:Recycling methods for plastics
Hi.
Try the American Plastics Council webpage for a detailed
discussion of various technologies.
Short summary...(not really my area, so it is ok if
someone wants to correct this)... There is:
* mechanical... plastics are sorted, shredded, melted, and
made into resin (powder/pellets/etc.)
* feedstock... plastics are chemically converted back to
petroleum-like waxes and liquids, gases. These can be used
in the petrochemical industry, plastics industry, etc.
(APC has a slightly different breakdown, but I think it is
very similar)
Thermoset plastics really can't be melted without
destroying them, so these are ground up and may be used as
fillers.
You could also grind up plastics and use them as aggregate
in concrete, making it very light. Some have used them as
an aggregate in an asphalt mix to fix potholes. (Search the
web for the Chelsea Center for Recycling and Economic
Development for more info)
Plastics have alot of energy content, so you can burn them.
Most would argue that this is not recycling, but it does
displace other fuels that otherwise would have been burned.
Plastics are occasionally also added in steel-making and
to cement kilns. Essentially, they are burned in these
uses, but there are some side benefits that can be argued
to make this approach superior to incineration.
anything else?...
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