Applied Problems of Selecting Synthetic Polymer Waste as Raw Material for Production of Active Carbon

The widespread use of polymers in engineering and for household needs is accompanied by the formation of large amounts of waste, which leads to the necessity of solving the problem of their utilization and recycling. This paper shows the results of studies on thermal processing of synthetic large-tonnage polymeric wastes with receipt of active carbons (AC). AC of synthetic polymeric materials are characterized by high purity, low ash content, regular structure, and the possibility of direct forming of porous structure. Sorption properties of AC depend on physical and chemical properties of polymeric wastes. The aims of the present work are to study the processes of thermal degradation of polymeric materials with different chemical structures and physical and chemical properties to obtain carbon sorbents and to develop requirements for chemical composition of waste synthetic polymers as a raw material for the production of AC. Samples of polymer materials, widely used in business activities and having different chemical structure and physical and chemical properties, such as technical polypropylene, polycarbonate based on bis-phenol A, granulated polystyrene, bound rubber on the base of styrene and butadiene copolymer, textile laminate (cotton fabric reinforced with phenol resin and pressed), filled polymer impregnated and cured with epoxy resin, were selected for this study. The influence of the structure of polymer structural unit and its physical and chemical properties on AC porous structure formation has been defined, and requirements to chemical composition of polymer wastes as raw material for AC production have been proved. These requirements include: polymer aromatic structure, location of benzene rings in polymer backbone, presence of heteroatoms (oxygen, nitrogen), high aromaticity index and oxygen mass content in the polymer composition.