Styrenic Polymers Debromination and Recycling

The current feedstock of en-life high impact polystyrene (HIPS) is currently impossible to be valorized and recyled due the presence of brominated fire retardants (FRs). The presence of those FRs is consequence of the need from the electronic industry
to compile with the security regulations. However, now those brominated compounds are to be banned due its harmful and hazardousness nature in humans and environment. Thus, a debromination process is required in order to allow HIPS recycling and valorization. The main duties during the research internship will be to be part of the daily work at the lab and to conduct the necessary analysis using the proper equipment. For the following 4 months the student will be primarily working with the main reactor (planetary ball mill). His duties will be to define the optimal conditions like time, rotation speed ratio plastic/catalyst/solvent, type of solvent etc. for the wet treatment of plastics in the planetary ball mill.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gregory Scott Patience

Student:

Partner:

University of Bath

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Environmental Science and Technology; Clean Technology

University:

Polytechnique Montréal

Program: