The present invention relates to processes for degrading plastic products and the uses thereof. The processes of the invention particularly comprise a step of amorphizing a plastic product prior to a step of depolymerization. The processes of the invention are particularly useful for degrading a plastic product comprising polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid. The invention also relates to a method of producing monomers and/or oligomers from a plastic product comprising at least one polyester, particularly polyethylene terephthalate and/or polylactic acid, comprising submitting the plastic product both to an amorphization step and to a depolymerization step.

Vents and micro-structures of rubber molds may become clogged with rubber that is difficult to remove. These vents and micro-structures can be cleaned of rubber, even if heat aged, by subjecting the mold to high temperatures in the presence of a solvent to devulcanize any rubber present. If the rubber used with the mold being cleaned includes carbon black, a solvent may be used to dissolve the devulcanized polymer, leaving the carbon black which can be removed by water jets or other cleaning means.

Vents and micro-structures of rubber molds may become clogged with rubber that is difficult to remove. These vents and micro-structures can be cleaned of rubber, even if heat aged, by subjecting the mold to high temperatures in the presence of a solvent to devulcanize any rubber present. If the rubber used with the mold being cleaned includes carbon black, a solvent may be used to dissolve the devulcanized polymer, leaving the carbon black which can be removed by water jets or other cleaning means.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of propylene-based polymers from waste plastics feedstocks comprising the steps in this order of: (a) providing a hydrocarbon stream A obtained by hydrotreatment of a pyrolysis oil produced from a waste plastics feedstock; (b) optionally providing a hydrocarbon stream B; (c) supplying a feed C comprising a fraction of the hydrocarbon stream A and optionally a fraction of the hydrocarbon stream B to a thermal cracker furnace comprising cracking coil(s); (d) performing a thermal cracking operation in the presence of steam to obtain a cracked hydrocarbon stream D; (e) supplying the cracked hydrocarbon stream D to a separation unit; (f) performing a separation operation in the separation unit to obtain a product stream E comprising propylene; (g) supplying the product stream E to a polymerisation reactor; and (h) performing a polymerisation reaction in the polymerisation reactor to obtain an propylene-based polymer; wherein in step (d): • the coil outlet temperature is ≥800 and ≤850° C., preferably ≥805 and ≤835° C.; and • the weight ratio of steam to feed C is >0.3 and <0.8.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of polymers from waste plastics feedstocks comprising the steps in this order of: (a) providing a hydrocarbon stream A obtained by treatment of a waste plastics feedstock; (b) optionally providing a hydrocarbon stream B; (c) supplying a feed C comprising a fraction of the hydrocarbon stream A and a fraction of the hydrocarbon stream B to a thermal cracker furnace comprising cracking coil(s); (d) performing a thermal cracking operation in the presence of steam to obtain a cracked hydrocarbon stream D; (e) supplying the cracked hydrocarbon stream D to a separation unit; (f) performing a separation operation in the separation unit to obtain a product stream E comprising a monomer; (g) supplying the product stream E to a polymerisation reactor; and (h) performing a polymerisation reaction in the polymerisation reactor to obtain an polymer. The process of the present invention allows for optimisation of the quantity of waste plastic material that finds its way back into a polymer that is produced as outcome of the process.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of propylene-based polymers from waste plastics feedstocks comprising the steps in this order of: (a) providing a hydrocarbon stream A obtained by treatment of a waste plastics feedstock; (b) providing a hydrocarbon stream B; (c) supplying a feed C comprising a fraction of the hydrocarbon stream A and a fraction of the hydrocarbon stream B to a thermal cracker furnace comprising cracking coil(s); (d) performing a thermal cracking operation in the presence of steam to obtain a cracked hydrocarbon stream D; (e) supplying the cracked hydrocarbon stream D to a separation unit; (f) performing a separation operation in the separation unit to obtain a product stream E comprising propylene; (g) supplying the product stream E to a polymerisation reactor; and (h) performing a polymerisation reaction in the polymerisation reactor to obtain an propylene-based polymer; wherein in step (d): •⋅ the coil outlet temperature is 2:: 800 and:::; 850° C., preferably 2:: 805 and:::; 835° C.; and •⋅ the weight ratio of steam to feed C is >0.3 and <0.8.

The present disclosure provides methods of preparing cellulosic superabsorbent polymer (SAP) using cellulose powder.

The present disclosure provides methods of preparing cellulosic superabsorbent polymer (SAP) using cellulose powder.

Disclosed is a preparation method of a renewable epoxy asphalt material and a regeneration process. The preparation method comprises: I Vanillin and 4-aminophenol are reacted in water with stirring to obtain VAN-AP; II. VAN-AP is mixed with epichlorohydrin, to which tetrabutylammonium bromide is added and heated at 80 to 90° C. for reaction; sodium hydroxide solution is then added dropwise for reaction; the mixture is concentrated to obtain GE-VAN-AP; III. Preheated asphalt is mixed with a polyetheramine curing agent and a polyetheramine accelerator to form component A; GE-VAN-AP is melted as component B; the component A is evenly mixed with the component B to obtain a renewable epoxy asphalt material. During the regeneration, the resin phase structure in the epoxy asphalt is gradually depolymerized, whereby asphalt regenerant is used to restore the properties of the aged asphalt phase and reshape the resin phase structure to complete the regeneration.

Methods for the recovery of natural fiber-containing material from waste textile and methods for recovery of monomers and/or oligomers from waste plastics comprise contacting about 10 to about 25 wt % of the waste with about 75 to about 95 wt % of an aqueous reagent, the aqueous reagent comprising at least about 80 wt % water and about 20 wt % or less tetraethylene glycol, based on the water and the tetraethylene glycol, and a base, at a temperature of about 90° C. to about 140° C. for about 20 to about 60 minutes to depolymerize polymers in the wastes. The base is included in the aqueous reagent in an amount effective to depolymerize the polymers.