Chemical Recycling: Monomers and Intermediates from Depolymerization Processes for the Chemical and Plastics Industry

This chapter describes current depolymerization methods and processes for plastic waste. It summarizes various approaches for depolymerization (thermal, chemical, enzy matic) and outlines the main principal reactions, reaction conditions, and other factors such as the composition and quality of the waste stream that influence the yield of the monomer. All relevant polymers ranging from polystyrene (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and fluoropolymers (PTFE) to polyesters (PET, PLA), polycarbonates (PC), polyacetals, polyamides, and polyurethanes are considered