I have accessibility to a cheap source of plexiglass scraps. I am thinking to a recycling projects and producing new products based on PMMA recycling. What is your suggestion for PMMA recycling? What can we make from recycled plexiglass which has both economic value and innovation??
PMMA particles can be depolymerized by dry distillation at approx. 300ºC. The distillate can be purified by redistillation, collecting the distillate fraction at 100―110 ºC. Purified monomer (methyl methacrylate) is obtained, which can be stored at approx. 4 ºC. Yield: approx. 80%.
I would suggest to have a look at the following:
Article Chemical Recycling of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) by Pyrolysis...
Article Recycling of poly(methyl methacrylate) scrap in the styrene–...
http://www.wealthywaste.com/acrylic-scrap-recycle
kind regards
The majority of the cost of plastics is processing. Recycling might be effective at a large scale and when waste has a cost, but otherwise it's difficult to balance. If you can add value (eg art) that might tip the balance.
Compression moulding is probably the lowest cost processing method.
PMMA cannot be recycled easily & it is not usually collected for such a purpose. Recycling a plastic proceeds if it is worthwhile doing with regard to cost & ease of processing and getting reasonable profit after the effort that is done.
It is possible to get the methyl methacrylate monomer from PMMA solid waste by depolymerization but this process is energy-intensive.
It is unfortunate that there is no relevant research on "facile" recycling of PMMA, as far as I know, although PMMA is almost non-biodegradable as a waste. In some places, they try to get rid of it by pyrolysis.
Another possibility is to disolve the scraps and use it as glue for handcraft.
Thank you all for your comments. Lets forget about pyrolysis and monomer recycling. I am looking almost for idea like "Alberto Naranjo" suggestion which is based on the same polymeric scraps, so that be reusable in new form or for new application; for example glue or acrylic paints that could run as small scale. However I am looking for possible newer ideas...
Yep, compression mould the waste along with coloured PMMA strips that you can then drape over interesting objects to produce "art"
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