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

该提案描述了一项基于超临界流体萃取（SCFE）的突破性技术的开发计划，该技术用于去除特种化学品（如回收聚合物产生的蜡）中导致颜色和气味的污染物。聚乙烯和聚丙烯原料含有各种添加剂，如填料和着色剂，它们或降解或进行解聚过程；从而产生强烈的深色和刺鼻的石油气味。颜色和气味的结合带来了一些挑战，限制了蜡产品的潜在市场。该项目旨在开发一种创新、经济、环保的SCFE工艺，通过去除污染物来净化蜡。纯化后的蜡可用于各种细分市场，包括色母粒、屋面瓦、橡胶、涂料和道路沥青改性剂。与传统的溶剂萃取和吸收式过滤净化技术相比，SCFE工艺具有反应速度快、废液少、易于分离溶质、分离阶段少等优点。研究表明，超临界CO2可溶解各种类型的聚合物。因此，预计聚合物中的污染物可以通过SCFE去除。该项目对加拿大和安大略省的学术卓越和工业竞争优势非常有利，因为它创造了一个机会，利用再生聚合物原料生产高价值的水白蜡，重点是清洁技术和提高资源效率。此外，最优秀的高素质人才将在加拿大和安大略省的化工行业进行职业培训。

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.