Catalytic Conversion of PVC Waste into Fuel Oil (TSE03-O)

废塑料处理技术在回收宝贵的化石燃料资源方面，特别是在环境保护方面，正成为越来越重要的关注点。 这一点对于诸如PVC等卤化塑料尤其重要，因为氯的存在使得废物与诸如聚乙烯或聚丙烯等聚合物的情况相比不太适合再循环。 美国每年生产数千万吨PVC，几乎没有一吨被回收。 催化加氢脱卤是一种替代性、创新性和有前途的方法，可以将废弃的卤化塑料转化为可重复使用的产品。 本研究探讨了废PVC催化降解的可行性，同时有针对性地将氯化物转化为可回收的HCl。 这将产生不含任何氯化污染物的燃料油，其可以燃烧而不会将有毒的氯化合物释放到环境中。 该建议代表了一个重大的进步，研究人员以前成功的努力，基本加氢脱卤研究。 该研究也将是多学科培训计划的一部分，该计划为本科生，本科合作学生和研究生提供研究经验，并针对代表性不足的群体。 一个主要的长期社会效益还将是开发一种新的补救技术，将潜在的有毒废物转化为商业上可行的产品，而不会对环境产生有害影响。

Waste plastic treatment technology is becoming an increasingly more important concern in the recovery of valuable fossil fuel resources and especially in terms of environmental protection. This is particularly relevant in the case of halogenated plastics, such as PVC, where the presence of chlorine renders the waste less amenable to recycle than is the case with such polymers as polyethylene or polypropylene. Tens of millions of tons of PVC are manufactured each year in the US and practically none of it is recycled. Catalytic hydrodehalogenation represents an alternative, innovative and promising approach whereby the waste halogenated plastics can be transformed into reusable products. This investigation explores the feasibility of a catalytic degradation of waste PVC with a concomitant targeted chemical transformation of the chlorinated content into recoverable HCl. This will generate a fuel oil free of any chlorinated contaminants, which can be combusted without the problem of releasing toxic chlorine compounds into the environment. The proposal represents a significant advance over the investigators prior successful efforts in fundamental hydrodehalogenation studies. The research will also be a part of a multidisciplinary training program that provides research experiences for undergraduates, undergraduate co-op students, and graduate students and that targets underrepresented groups. A major long-term societal benefit would also be the development of a new remediation technology in which a potentially toxic waste is transformed into commercially viable products with no detrimental effect on the environment.