Expanded polystyrene (EPS) Recycling: An Environment Friendly Process to Recovery of dissolved polystyrene (PS) using Waste Cooking Soybean Oil

• Main Author: Luz, Mário Sérgio da
• Publication Date: 2023
• Other Authors: Borges, Maria Flávia, Campos, Ariana de, Carneiro Ferreira, Deusmaque, Carvalho Rocha, Vinícius, Souza Inácio Gonçalves, Júlio Cesar, Andrade Lemos, Diego, Poleto, Cristiano
• Format: Article
• Language: por; eng
• Source: Holos
• Download full: http://www2.ifrn.edu.br/ojs/index.php/HOLOS/article/view/16351
• topic: recycling; Polymer; environmental Sciences

The current work presents a simple method for recycling waste expanded polystyrene (EPS), using waste cooking soybean oil (WCSO). The process of polystyrene recovery combines dissolving of EPS in D-limonene with further separation and mixture with WCSO. The chemical, thermal, and morphological properties of the obtained material were characterized by the techniques; Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), X Ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The characteristics of the recovered polystyrene presented high similarity with standard polystyrene (PS), which suggests low contamination by other materials. The great advantage of this recycling method is that it allows the obtention of PS in a solid state at room temperature, without the need for heat, in contrast to other reported EPS recycling methods. The results are promising and point to a viable and simple process of recycling EPS, which offers several environmental benefits.