METHOD FOR PURIFYING CONTAMINATED POLYMERS

• Main Authors: GUNNERSON, Maggie, LAYMAN, John, Moncrief, SCHONEMANN, Hans, WILLIAMS, Kara
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.10.2023
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVINGCARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BESHAPED; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIALCONTAINING PLASTICS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL; WORKING-UP

A method for purifying a reclaimed polymer, such as a polymer reclaimed from post-consumer use or post-industrial use, is disclosed. The method involves obtaining the reclaimed polymer and contacting it at an elevated temperature and pressure with a fluid solvent to produce an extracted reclaimed polymer. The extracted reclaimed polymer is dissolved in a solvent at an elevated temperature and pressure to produce a polymer solution, which is purified at an elevated temperature and pressure by contacting the polymer solution with solid media to produce a purer polymer solution. A purer polymer is then separated from the purer polymer solution.