Environmental issues in polymer processing: A review on volatile emissions and material/energy recovery options

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2001

Abstract

Environmental issues in polymer processing can be related to materials/energy balances in terms of volatile emissions generated during manufacture and selection of appropriate material/energy recovery options for the manufactured product. This review presents information related to the types of volatiles emanating during the processing of commodity thermoplastics and reinforced thermosets along with analytical methods for their measurement. The identification of volatiles and the development of analytic techniques for measuring their concentration in the workplace are of paramount importance to establish or revise threshold limit values that would minimize exposure to hazardous chemical substances. With respect to material/energy recovery options applicable to fabricated polymer-based parts, this article reviews methodologies based on life-cycle analysis principles to establish an approximate hierarchy of energy recovery potential. It is shown that the overall energy requirements for most secondary (melt reprocessing) or tertiary (chemical) recycling alternatives are well below those of landfilling (highest energy consumption) and for some alternatives closer to those of reuse (lowest energy consumption).

Identifier

0034818383 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Advances in Polymer Technology

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-2329(200121)20:1<22::AID-ADV1002>3.0.CO;2-O

ISSN

07306679

First Page

22

Last Page

41

Issue

1

Volume

20

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