Development of a Separation Sequence for the Integration of a Styrene Recyclate into Polystyrene Production

Abstract

This work addresses the processing of a polystyrene recyclate stream into polystyrene synthesis on an industrial scale. Evaluating the energetic demand of the separation process with the following reintegration of the recyclate stream shows a significantly reduced specific energy input compared to conventional polystyrene synthesis. Therefore, recycling polystyrene by pyrolysis and thermal separation shows a considerable potential as a tool for industrial circular production in the plastics sector.