Radiolysis as a Powerful Tool for Polymer Waste Recycling

Abstract

The review is devoted to the use of ionizing radiation for the processing of polymer wastes including the application of radiolytic effects to the sorting of plastics; an increase in the compatibility of plastics with cement, asphalt, and other materials; the destruction of high-molecular-weight wastes; the synthesis of multicomponent polymer composites; the production of monomers for the synthesis of conventional and alternative plastics; the manufacture of antioxidants; the processing of inseparable mixtures of natural and synthetic polymers; etc. The radiation-induced processes of crosslinking, graft polymerization, oxidation, degradation, and high-temperature conversion in the recycling of polymer wastes are considered.

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