Thermolysis of mixtures of linear low density polyethylene, LLDPE, and polystyrene, PS, was investigated. Mixtures having various polyethylene/polystyrene ratios were reacted in a stirred, batch reactor under a nitrogen atmosphere at moderate temperatures, ranging between 350 and 420$ sp circ$C. The major products collected included a volatile product, which was liquid at room temperature, and a wax-like residue. The liquid products were consistently found to contain over 90 percent styrene and toluene with the yield of styrene decreasing as the percentage of polyethylene in the mixture increased. Two fractions were identified in the residue: a high molecular weight polyethylene fraction and a lower molecular weight polystyrene fraction. A significant increase in the solubility of the residue in organic solvents at room temperature was observed as the polystyrene content was raised. The residue became completely soluble in chloroform at a 60/40 ratio of polyethylene/polystyrene. The effect of temperature on the degradation of a selected mixture was also investigated. At temperatures below 390$ sp circ$C, the volatile/residue ratio was independent of the reaction temperature. Above 390$ sp circ$C, the styrene and total liquid product yields increased with increasing temperature, while the yield of residue decreased.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.56791 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Lageraaen, Paul R. (Paul Robert) |
| Contributors | Kamal, M. R. (advisor), Cooper, D. G. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Engineering (Department of Chemical Engineering.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001340647, proquestno: AAIMM87515, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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