Methods of Recycling Expanded Polystyrene Waste: Synthesis and Characterization

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Laboratory of Organic Electrolytes and Polyelectrolytes’ Application (LAEPO), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tlemcen University, algeria

2 Laboratory of Organic Electrolytes and Polyelectrolytes’ Application (LAEPO). Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tlemcen University, B. P. 119 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria

3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Tlemcen University, B. P. 119 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria.

10.22036/pcr.2023.365735.2220

Abstract

This work reports the recycling of waste polystyrene that was expanded by homgeneous sulfonation reactions using different methods. The obtained sulfonates polystyrenes (PSS) were identified using various techniques such as FTIR spectrometry, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The FTIR spectrometry showed the appearance of the S-O band at 1050 cm-1 and S=O at 1180 cm-1 of the sulfur trioxide, which confirmed the polystyrene’s modification. It is important to note that great thermal stability happened for the material which was modified at T=445°C, compared with the starting one T=400°C. In addition, the average macromolecular masses (Mv) were obtained by viscosity. The polymer exhibited polyelectrolyte behavior. The results showed an increase up to 69% in the degree of sulfonation due to the essentially higher time, beside a positive correlation between the degree and the color during synthesis. This outcome ultimately indicated a high percentage of changing benzene rings and the results were confirmed by the potentiometric dosage method.

Graphical Abstract

Methods of Recycling Expanded Polystyrene Waste: Synthesis and Characterization

Keywords

Physical Chemistry Research
Volume 11, Issue 4 - Serial Number 40
December 2023
Pages 943-951

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 October 2022
  • Revise Date: 31 December 2022
  • Accept Date: 03 January 2023

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