Methods of recycling and compositions used therein
First Claim
1. A method of physically separating a gas barrier polymer coating from a base thermoplastic polymer in a multilayered structure, comprising the steps of:
- (A) providing the multilayered structure comprising at least one gas barrier polymer coating and at least one base thermoplastic polymer;
(B) contacting the multilayered structure with a mixture comprising (i) a major amount of water, (ii) at least one basic compound, (iii) at least one lifting agent, and (iv) at least one accelerator selected from the group consisting of glycol ethers, glycol ether acetates, alkylene carbonates, glycerine, lactones, hydrocarbyl substituted lactones, pvrrolidones, hydrocarbyl substituted pyrrolidones, furan compounds and mixtures thereof, wherein the pH of the mixture of step (B) is greater than about 7.5; and
(C) physically separating the gas barrier polymer coating from the base thermoplastic polymer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of separating a coating from a base plastic in a multilayered structure, comprising the steps of (A) providing the multilayered structure comprising at least a coating and a base plastic; (B) contacting the multilayered structure with a mixture comprising (i) a major amount of water, (ii) at least one basic compound or acid compound, (iii) at least one lifting agent, and (iv) at least one accelerator; and (C) separating the coating from the base plastic. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a separating composition containing a major amount of water, at least one basic compound or acid compound, at least one lifting agent, and at least one accelerator. The inventive methods and compositions overcome numerous problems in the art by enabling the efficient recycling of coated polymer articles whereby clear and/or colorless recycled polymers may be obtained.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of physically separating a gas barrier polymer coating from a base thermoplastic polymer in a multilayered structure, comprising the steps of:
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(A) providing the multilayered structure comprising at least one gas barrier polymer coating and at least one base thermoplastic polymer; (B) contacting the multilayered structure with a mixture comprising (i) a major amount of water, (ii) at least one basic compound, (iii) at least one lifting agent, and (iv) at least one accelerator selected from the group consisting of glycol ethers, glycol ether acetates, alkylene carbonates, glycerine, lactones, hydrocarbyl substituted lactones, pvrrolidones, hydrocarbyl substituted pyrrolidones, furan compounds and mixtures thereof, wherein the pH of the mixture of step (B) is greater than about 7.5; and (C) physically separating the gas barrier polymer coating from the base thermoplastic polymer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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- 11. A composition having a pH greater than about 7.5 and comprising (i) a major amount of water, (ii) at least one basic compound selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, alkaline earth metal silicate, alkaline earth metal phosphate, alkaline earth metal borate, alkaline earth metal carbonate, ammonium hydroxide, ammonium silicate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium borate, ammonium carbonate, alkali metal silicate, alkali metal phosphate, alkali metal borate, alkali metal carbonate and mixtures thereof, (iii) at least one lifting agent, and (iv) at least one accelerator selected from the group consisting of alkylene carbonates, glycerine, lactones and substituted lactones, pyrrolidones and substituted pyrrolidones, furan compounds and mixtures thereof.
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14. A method of recycling coated polymer containers comprising the steps of
(A) providing a polymer container having a polymer coating; -
(B) preparing flakes from the coated polymer container; (C) contacting the flakes with a mixture comprising (i) a major amount of water, (ii) at least one basic compound, (iii) at least one lifting agent and (iv) at least one accelerator selected from the group consisting of glycol ethers, glycol ether acetates, alkylene carbonates, glycerine, lactones and substituted lactones, pyrrolidones and substituted pyrrolidones, furan compounds and mixtures thereof; and (D) separating the mixture and the polymer coating from the flakes. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of physically separating a gas barrier polymer coating from a base thermoplastic polymer in a multilayered structure, comprising the steps of:
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(A) providing the multilayered structure comprising at least one gas barrier polymer coating and at least one base thermoplastic polymer, the gas barrier polymer coating comprising a gas barrier polymer selected from the group consisting of polymers formed from vinylhalides, acrylates, methacrylates, ethylenically unsaturated monomers, unsaturated nitriles, unsaturated organic acids, ethylene-vinyl alcohol, alkyl and/or aryl esters of unsaturated carboxylic acids and a polymeric reaction product of a polyamine and polyepoxide; (B) contacting the multilayered structure with a mixture comprising (i) a major amount of water, (ii) at least one basic compound, (iii) at least one lifting agent, and (iv) at least one accelerator selected from the group consisting of glycol ethers, glycol ether acetates, alkylene carbonates, glycerine, lactones, hydrocarbyl substituted lactones, pyrrolidones, hydrocarbyl substituted pyrrolidones, furan compounds and mixtures thereof, wherein the pH of the mixture of step (B) is greater than about 7.5; and (C) physically separating the gas barrier polymer coating from the base thermoplastic polymer.
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Specification