LAPSE:2024.1605
Published Article

LAPSE:2024.1605
Screening Green Solvents for Multilayer Plastic Films Separation
August 16, 2024. Originally submitted on July 9, 2024
This paper introduces a computational framework for selecting green solvents to separate multilayer plastic films, particularly those challenging to recycle through mechanical means. The framework prioritizes the selective dissolution of polymers while considering solvent toxicity. Initial screening relies on temperature-solubility dependence, utilizing octanol-water partition coefficients (LogP) to identify non-toxic solvents (LogP = 3). Additionally, guidelines from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemical Regulation (REACH), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are employed to screen for green solvents. Molecular-scale models predict temperature-dependent solubilities and LogP values for polymers and solvents. The framework is applied to identify green solvents for separating a multilayer plastic film composed of polyethylene (PE), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The case study demonstrates the framework's effectiveness in identifying environmentally friendly solvents and balancing trade-offs between solvent toxicity and solubility. Furthermore, the framework informs process design by screening for suitable green solvents in selective dissolution processes, potentially leading to the development of more sustainable dissolution processes and the identification of easily recyclable polymer blends in multilayer plastic films.
Record ID
Keywords
COSMO-RS, Green Solvents, Life Cycle Analysis, Plastics Recycling, Polymer, Process Design, Technoeconomic Analysis
Subject
Suggested Citation
Ikegwu UM, Zavala VM, Lehn RCV. Screening Green Solvents for Multilayer Plastic Films Separation. Systems and Control Transactions 3:763-770 (2024) https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.162050
Author Affiliations
Ikegwu UM: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Zavala VM: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Lehn RCV: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Zavala VM: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Lehn RCV: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Journal Name
Systems and Control Transactions
Volume
3
First Page
763
Last Page
770
Year
2024
Publication Date
2024-07-10
Version Comments
DOI Assigned
Other Meta
PII: 0763-0770-675866-SCT-3-2024, Publication Type: Journal Article
Record Map
Published Article

LAPSE:2024.1605
This Record
External Link

https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.162050
Article DOI
Download
Meta
Links to Related Works