PROCESS FOR THE RECYCLING OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE

摘要

The invention relates to an enhanced process for the recycling of expanded polystyrene. Said process essentially comprises the reduction in volume of expanded polystyrene by means of dissolution in a solvent, separation of the insoluble components, selective precipitation of the polystyrene with an anti-solvent, separation, drying and extrusion of the precipitated polystyrene, recovery by distillation and recycling of the solvent. The process is characterized in that the anti-solvent is a butanol selected form n-butanol, iso-butanol or sec-butanol and the solvent is dimethyl carbonate, alone or in a mixture containing up to 25% by weight of butanol.