Supercritical Fluid Extraction for Upgrading Wax Products Derived from Recycled Plastic Feedstock

该提案描述了基于超临界流体萃取（SCFE）的突破性技术的开发计划，该技术用于去除在特种化学品中引起颜色和气味的污染物，例如来自回收聚合物的蜡。聚乙烯和聚丙烯原料含有各种添加剂，例如填料和着色剂，这些添加剂或者降解或者通过解聚过程携带;从而产生强烈的深色和刺激性的石油气味。颜色和气味的组合带来了一些挑战，限制了蜡产品的潜在市场。该项目旨在开发一种创新的、具有成本效益的、环境友好的SCFE工艺，通过去除污染物来净化蜡。提纯后的蜡可用于各种细分市场，包括色母料、屋顶瓦、橡胶、涂料和道路沥青改性剂。与基于溶剂萃取和吸附过滤的传统纯化技术相比，SCFE工艺具有独特的优势，包括反应速度快，液体废物少，易于分离溶质，以及分离阶段少。已经表明，超临界CO2溶解各种类型的聚合物。因此，可以预期SCFE可以去除聚合物中的污染物。该项目对加拿大和安大略的学术卓越和工业竞争优势非常有利，因为它创造了一个从再生聚合物原料生产高价值水白蜡的机会，重点是清洁技术和提高资源效率。此外，顶级高素质的人员将接受培训，在加拿大和安大略省的化学品部门的职业生涯。

This proposal describes the plan for the development of a breakthrough technology based on supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE)for the removal of contaminants that cause color and odor in specialty chemicals such as waxes derived from recycled polymers.Polyethylene and polypropylene feedstock contain various additives, such as fillers and colorants, which either degrade or carrythrough the depolymerization process; thereby causing intense dark colors and a pungent petroleum odor. The combination ofcolor and odor imposes several challenges, limiting the potential markets of the waxes products. This project aims to develop aninnovative, cost effective, and environmentally friendly SCFE process to purify the waxes by removing the contaminants. Thepurified waxes could then be utilized in a variety of market segments, including color masterbatch, roofing shingles, rubber,coatings, and road asphalt modifiers. Compared with traditional purification technologies based on solvent extraction andabsorbent filters, SCFE process offers exceptional advantages, including fast reaction rates, little liquid waste, ease of separationof solutes, and fewer separation stages. It has been shown that supercritical CO2 dissolves various types polymers. It is thereforeexpected that the contaminants in polymers can be removed by SCFE. This project is highly beneficial for Canada and Ontario interms of academic excellence and industrial competitive advantage, as it creates an opportunity to produce high-value water whitewaxes from reclaimed polymeric feedstock with a focus on clean technologies and enhanced resource efficiency. Also, top highquality personnel will be trained for careers in the Canadian and Ontario-based Chemicals sector.