Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the recycling of an article comprising a thermoplastic polymer P1 resin, said thermoplastic polymer P1 having been formed from base monomers, said process comprising the following stages: heating said resin in order to convert, at least in part, the thermoplastic polymer P1 into at least two polymers P2, said at least two polymers P2 having a lower molar mass than the molar mass of said polymer P1, cooling said at least two polymers P2 obtained after heating to a temperature substantially equal to or lower than the boiling point of said base monomers, and dissolving said at least two polymers P2 in a solution comprising said base monomers.

Abstract: The patent application relates to a method of producing a monomer component from a genetically modified polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biomass, wherein the biomass is heated in the presence of a catalyst to release a monomer component from the PHA.

Abstract: A process for redissociating Michael adducts which are present in a liquid F with a proportion by weight of ?10% by weight and have been formed in the preparation of acrylic acid or esters thereof in a redissociating apparatus which comprises a pump P, a separating column K with separating internals and a circulation heat exchanger UW, wherein, for the purpose of supplying the cleavage energy, the pump P sucks in bottoms liquid from the bottom space of the separating column K and, via the circulation heat exchanger UW, continually recycles it into the bottom space above the level of the bottoms liquid, and wherein the pump P is a radial circulation pump with an open impeller.

Abstract: A method of recovering pyrolysis products of resin of the present invention includes cooling gaseous pyrolysis products generated from pyrolysis of the resin in a pyrolysis tank to recover the resin as liquid pyrolysis products. The method includes the following steps (1) to (4): (1) continuously feeding fluidization gas, heated solid particles, and a resin into the pyrolysis tank to fluidize the solid particles and the resin by the fluidization gas; (2) continuously feeding the resin into the pyrolysis tank from a position which is ½ or less of the height of a solid particle layer in the pyrolysis tank in a stationary state; (3) continuously discharging the solid particles from a position lower than the height of a feeding position of the resin; and (4) heating the discharged solid particles in a heating furnace and then feeding the heated solid particles into the pyrolysis tank.

Abstract: In this invention, a process of thermal degradation of biodegradable bacterial polyesters poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs) to lower molecular weight PHAs in controllable manner has been developed. The process involves using at least one additional component to ‘dilute’ the PHAs in the thermal degradation process, so that the process can be controlled in the senses of better heat transfer, better stirring, easier working up after the reaction. The relationship of processing time and the molecular weights of the products at a certain temperature was obtained so that it is possible to obtain the desired molecular weight products in the real production under the guidance of the relationship.

Abstract: A method is provided for carrying out depolymerization of a polymer containing electrophilic linkages in the presence of a catalyst and a nucleophilic reagent, wherein production of undesirable byproducts resulting from polymer degradation is minimized. The reaction can be carried out at a temperature of 80° C. or less, and generally involves the use of an organic, nonmetallic catalyst, thereby ensuring that the depolymerization product(s) are substantially free of metal contaminants. In an exemplary depolymerization method, the catalyst is a carbene compound such as an N-heterocyclic carbene, or is a precursor to a carbene compound. The method provides an important alternative to current recycling techniques such as those used in the degradation of polyesters, polyamides, and the like.

Abstract: A method is provided for carrying out depolymerization of a polymer containing electrophilic linkages in the presence of a catalyst and a nucleophilic reagent, wherein production of undesirable byproducts resulting from polymer degradation is minimized. The reaction can be carried out at a temperature of 80° C. or less, and generally involves the use of an organic, nonmetallic catalyst, thereby ensuring that the depolymerization product(s) are substantially free of metal contaminants. In an exemplary depolymerization method, the catalyst is a carbene compound such as an N-heterocyclic carbene, or is a precursor to a carbene compound. The method provides an important alternative to current recycling techniques such as those used in the degradation of polyesters, polyamides, and the like.

Abstract: A method for the decomposition of a Michael type adduct of an acrylic acid and/or an acrylic ester represented by the following formula [I] or [II] is disclosed, wherein decomposing the Michael type adduct in the presence of at least one copper salt and at least one metal salt selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal salt and an alkaline earth metal salt into an acrylic acid and/or an acrylic ester and/or an alcohol. CH2?CHCOO(—X—COO)n—R1??[I] R2—O(—X—COO)m—R3??[II] (wherein n and m denote an integer in the range of 1-5, R1, R2, and R3 independently denote a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and —X— denotes —CH2CH2— or —CH(CH3)—, and —X— may be identical or different when n is 2 or more).

Abstract: In a process for esterifying (meth)acrylic acid with an alkanol in the presence of an esterification catalyst, in which unconverted starting compounds and (meth)acrylic ester to be formed are separated off by distillation and an oxyester-containing bottom product is formed, the bottom product is first separated off and then the oxyesters contained in it are cleaved in the presence of a relatively long-chain alkylbenzenesulfonic acid at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of recovering monomeric esters of substituted or unsubstituted acrylic acid from polymer material having corresponding structural units by depolymerization by means of a fine-grained heat-transfer medium which is maintained above the depolymerization temperature of the polymer material. In a reactor, the polymer material is brought in contact with hot, mechanically fluidized heat-transfer medium. The resulting vapors are withdrawn and condensed, where the hot heat-transfer medium is continuously supplied at one end of the reactor, and cooled heat-transfer medium is discharged at the other end.

Abstract: To recover these noble products consisting of acrylic acid monomer, acrylic ester monomers and alcohols, a thermal cracking is performed in the absence of catalyst on a mixture of heavy distillation residues originating, on the one hand, from the manufacture of acrylic acid and, on the other hand, from the manufacture of the esters, the light fraction originating from the dissociation reactions is continuously vaporized during the cracking operation and this light fraction is distilled in order to recover, after condensation, the required products.

Abstract: A polymer such as poly(methyl methacrylate) is depolymerized, e.g., to give MMA, by heating the polymer in a fluidized bed at a temperature below the autoignition point of the monomer.

Abstract: Black acid or the sulfuric acid residue obtained in the manufacture of ethyl acrylate by reaction of ethylene and acrylic acid in the presence of sulfuric acid is heated and distilled in the presence of a solvent for recovery of acrylic acid and ethyl acrylate.

Abstract: A process for producing sorbic acid and its derivatives, which comprises reacting crotonaldehyde with ketene in the presence of a catalyst and decomposing or hydrolyzing the resulting adduct, said catalyst comprising a zinc salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid and a phosphine or a pyridine.