Polystyrene recycling processes by dissolution in ethyl acetate

This study evaluated the thermal, morphological, chemical, and mechanical properties of virgin and recycled polystyrene. The recycling process was carried out by dissolution of polystyrene (extruded and crystal) in ethyl acetate, followed by two processes for solvent removal: vaporization by direct contact with water at 85 °C in a tubular evaporator and vaporization during the extrusion process. For the samples produced by solvent evaporation in the tubular evaporator, there was practically no degradation on polymer chain, neither reduction in glass transition temperature. For the samples produced by solvent evaporation during the extrusion, a polymer chain degradation was noted by reduction in molar weight and in glass transition temperature. The FTIR evaluation suggests that polymer oxidative degradation, in both samples, was more pronounced in the extruded sample. The removal of plasticizing additives could be evidenced by the glass transition temperature increase in the recycled samples produced in the tubular evaporator. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46208.