title: Feasibility study of the separation of chlorinated films from plastic packaging wastes.
abstract: This study describes the possible separation of chlorinated plastic films (PVC and PVDC) from other heavy plastic packaging waste (PPW) by selective twist formation and gravity separation. Twists formation was mechanically induced in chlorinated plastic films, whereas twist formation did not occur in PS and PET films. After twist formation, all the films had the apparent density of less than 1.0g/cm(3) and floated in water even though the true density was more than 1.0g/cm(3). However, the apparent density of the PS and the PET films increased with agitation to more than 1.0g/cm(3), whereas that of chlorinated plastic films was kept less than 1.0g/cm(3). The main reason would be the air being held inside the chlorinated plastic films which was difficult to be removed by agitation. Simple gravity separation after twist formation was applied for artificial film with 10wt.% of the chlorinated films and real PPW films with 9wt.% of the chlorinated films. About 76wt.% of the artificial PPW films and 75wt.% of real PPW films after the removal of PP and PE were recovered as settling fraction with 4.7wt.% and 3.0wt.% of chlorinated plastic films, respectively. These results indicate that simple gravity separation process after twist formation can be used to reduce the chlorinated plastic concentration from mixed heavy PPW films.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima-739-8527, Japan. srireddys@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mallampati Srinivasa
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Tsung-Yueh
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.forename: Mitsumasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D005240:Feasibility Studies; D054879:Halogenation; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry*; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019064:Product Packaging; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D013046:Specific Gravity; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride