Process for the separation of polyvinyl alcohol from aqueous solutions

摘要

In order to protect the environment from pollution, it is desirable to keep the polyvinyl alcohol content in waste waters as low as possible. Polyvinyl alcohol may be removed from waste waters by means of microorganisms on the the one hand, and on the other according to chemical/mechanical methods by salting-out and precipitation and subsequent separation of the solids. Advantageous is the precipitation in the form of a polyvinyl alcohol/boric acid/didiol complex, especially by means of alkaline earth metal hydroxides in an alkaline medium. Calcium hydroxide is a particularly suitable alkaline earth metal hydroxide.