Chemical Forums

Specialty Chemistry Forums => Materials and Nanochemistry forum => Topic started by: vantan on August 06, 2008, 09:35:26 AM

Title: Styrosolve
Post by: vantan on August 06, 2008, 09:35:26 AM

Hey! Good day guys!

Can anyone help me here?

Could anyone explain to me the process of recycling styrofoam by using Styrosolve?

Here's the link http://www.blueearthsolutions.com/product_StyroSolve.php (http://www.blueearthsolutions.com/product_StyroSolve.php)

How do they make it so that when they put in the alcohol, the liquified polystyrene separates from the styrosolve? It says that there is an ester involved. Could someone help me on this?

Thanks in advance and more power! :D

Title: Re: Styrosolve
Post by: Mitch on August 06, 2008, 02:44:20 PM

It looks like a patented process, I doubt that information is just lying around.

Title: Re: Styrosolve
Post by: P on August 07, 2008, 06:52:59 AM

Cant it just be re-precipitated out by dropping it into an excess of non solvent? ...

..  just had a look at their web site and it suggests that they evaporate the 'styrosolve' off and recollect the solvent and pelletise the polystyrene to return to feedstock.

Title: Re: Styrosolve
Post by: DrCMS on August 07, 2008, 12:57:55 PM

Quote from: vantan on August 06, 2008, 09:35:26 AM

Hey! Good day guys!

Can anyone help me here?

Could anyone explain to me the process of recycling styrofoam by using Styrosolve?

They dissolve expanded polystyrene in solvent then evapourate off the solvent to give polystyrene.  Whats to explain?

Quote from: vantan on August 06, 2008, 09:35:26 AM

How do they make it so that when they put in the alcohol, the liquified polystyrene separates from the styrosolve? It says that there is an ester involved. Could someone help me on this?

This is just for the video demo and polystyrene is not soluble in IPA so it comes out of solution.

Title: Re: Styrosolve
Post by: Dynamic on March 11, 2009, 04:54:25 PM

I wonder if Styrosolve smells like acetone?