Process for recycling soluble polymers or polymer blends from plastic containing materials

摘要

A process for the reclamation of soluble polymer or polymer mixtures from polymeric materials is characterised by: (i) the target polymer of polymer mixture is selectively dissolved from the polymeric material; (ii) unwanted insoluble components are optionally removed from the resulting solution; (iii) unwanted soluble components are optionally removed from solution; (iv) the target polymer or polymer mixture is selectively precipitated by means of turbulent mixing with a precipitating agent in the presence of a gas or gas mixture; (v) separation of the precipitated polymer or polymer mixture from the liquid phase; and (vi) optionally drying the target polymer or polymer mixture. Preferably further soluble target polymer or mixture is dissolved from the separated insoluble components after separation from the resulting suspension and/or the insoluble components undergo a final water washing step. The polymer solution undergoes a chromatographic, preferably a gel permeation chromatography and/or solid phase extraction, preferably with carbon and/or a liquid-liquid extraction step.