Thermodynamic limits of the depolymerization of poly(olefin)s using mechanochemistry
Y. A. Chang, Van Son Nguyen, Adrian H. Hergesell, Claire L. Seitzinger, Jan Meisner, Ina Vollmer, F. Joseph Schork, Carsten Sievers
Abstract
a purge gas stream are discussed for these polymers. For poly(styrene), a typical vibratory ball mill supplies just enough energy for its depolymerization to be driven by either thermal hotspots or adiabatic compression of the impact site, but the same energy supply is far from sufficient for poly(propylene) and poly(ethylene). Meanwhile, removal of styrene from the reactor is thermodynamically hindered by its lower volatility, but this is not an issue for either propylene or ethylene. The implications of these thermodynamic limitations for mechanochemical reactor design and potential for mechanocatalytic processes are highlighted.