Instant degradation of plastics into soluble non-toxic products

Abstract

The present invention describes novel, cost-effective and rapid processes suitable for degradation and recycling of specially designed plastics, which are defined as instantly degradable synthetic polymeric plastics having the characteristics and properties of conventional forms of plastics. These novel plastic products are made from a variety of compositions of polymers and their compatible nontoxic modifiers. The resulting novel instant degradable plastic products retain latent solubility properties which are triggered upon mild chemical processes of the present invention, thus enabling cost effective and facile recycling of plastic refuge.

1 . A process for degrading polymers of disulphide, amino-sulfenyl or oxy-sulfenyl plastics, comprising adding an effective amount of a reducing agent to said polymers of degradable plastics, at mild conditions for fracturing the chemical bonds in said degradable plastics and producing a variety of monomers and degradation products.  
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from a mercapto-containing organic group consisting of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercapto-5-benzimidazole sulfonic acid sodium salt dihydrate; 2-mercaptobenzoic acid or thiosalicylic acid; 3-mercaptobenzoic acid; 4-mercaptobenzoic acid; 2-mercaptobenzothiazole; 2-mercaptobenzooxazole; 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid sodium salt; 2-mercaptoethyl trimethyl ammonium bromide acetate; 2-mercaptoethyl trimethyl ammonium iodide acetate; 2-mercaptoimidazole; 8-mercaptomenthone; 2-mercapto-5-methylbenzimidazole; 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole; 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole; 2-mercapto-5-methyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazole; 3-mercapto-4-methyl-4-H-1,2,4 triazole; 3-mercaptopropanediol; 3-mercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid sodium salt; 3-mercaptopropionic acid; n-2-mercaptopropionyl glycine; meraptosuccinic acid; 2-mercaptoacetic acid; 2-mercaptopyridine, cysteine, glutathione and other cysteine containing peptides, sodium borohydride; or sodium cyano borohydride; mercaptopyruvic acid sodium salt.  
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from a group having a thiol group and consisting of 6-mercaptoguanosine; 8-mercaptoguanosine; 2(R)-2-mercaptomethyl-4-methylpentanoyl-B-(-2naphthyl)-ala-ala-amide; (2 R)-2-mercaptomethyl-4-methylpentanoyl-phe-ala-amide; N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine; 2-mercaptopurine; 6-mercaptopurine; 6-mercaptopurine-2′-deoxy-riboside; 6 mercaptopurine riboside; B-mercaptovaline.  
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the polymers comprise of substituted united including the amino-sulfenyl group, the oxygen-sulfenyl group or the disulphide group.  
     
     
         5 . A process for recovering a monomer from a degradable plastic material formed at least from the monomer and from a non-toxic modifier or an additive, said process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) vulcanizing the plastic material in a reservoir,    (b) washing the plastic material to remove additives from the surface of the plastic material;    (c) exposing the washed plastic material to a reducing agent under conditions sufficient to cleave the chemical bonds and thereby yield one or more degradation products;    (d) heating in the present of a catalyst the mixture formed in step (b) to a suitable temperature, for a time sufficient to depolymerize the plastic material and the monomer; and    (e) removing the monomer following a feature from the mixture.    
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 4  wherein the washed plastic material is exposed to a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of: 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercapto-5-benzimidazole sulfonic acid sodium salt dihydrate; 2-mercaptobenzoic acid or thiosalicylic acid; 3-mercaptobenzoic acid; 4-mercaptobenzoic acid; 2-mercaptobenzothiazole; 2-mercaptobenzooxazole; 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid sodium salt; 2-mercaptoethyl trimethyl ammonium bromide acetate; 2-mercaptoethyl trimethyl ammonium iodide acetate; 2-mercaptoimidazole; 8-mercaptomenthone; 2-mercapto-5-methylbenzimidazole; 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole; 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole; 2-mercapto-5-methyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazole; 3-mercapto-4-methyl-4-H-1,2,4 triazole; 3 mercaptopropanediol; 3-mercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid sodium salt; 3-mercaptopropionic acid; n-2-mercaptopropionyl glycite; meraptosuccinic acid; 2-mercaptoacetic acid; cysteine, glutathione and other cysteine containing peptides, sodium borohydride; or sodium cyano borohydride; mercaptopyruvic acid sodium salt.  
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 4 , wherein the plastic material is exposed to a reducing agent having a thiol group and consisting of 6-mercaptoguanosine; 8-mercaptoguanosine; 2(R)-2-mercaptomethyl-4-methylpentanoyl-B-(-2naphthyl)-ala-ala-amide; (2 R)-2-mercaptomethyl-4-methylpentanoyl-phe-ala-amide; N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine; 2-mercaptopurine; 6-mercaptopurine; 6-mercaptopurine-2′-deoxy-riboside; 6 mercaptopurine riboside; B-mercaptovaline.  
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 4  wherein the depolymerization reaction takes place in the presence of a thermo-catalytic catalyst system.  
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 4 , wherein the plastic material is of an origin including films, molded products, laminates, foams, powders, nonwovens, adhesives, coatings, nylons, polyurethanes, polyesters, polyamides, pharmaceutics, or polystyrenes.  
     
     
         10 . The processing according to  claim 4 , wherein the plastic material is made up of a blend of different polymeric plastics.  
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 4 , wherein plastic material is reclaimed from used tires and rubber.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the reaction temperature of step (d) is carried out at a temperature of between about 5° C. and 500° C.  
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the plastic material comprises particles ranging in size from about −5 to +25 mesh.  
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 4 , wherein the plastic material comprises particles ranging in size from about −5 to +25 mesh.  
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the plastic material is dissolved in a mild acidic aqueous solution having a pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.5, containing an acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid, hydrochloric acid, a proton donor, and a mild acid.  
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the plastic material is dissolved in a mild acidic aqueous solution, more preferably having a pH in the range of 5.5 to 6.0, containing an acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid and hydrochloric acid hydrochloric acid.  
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 4 , wherein the plastic material is dissolved in a mild acidic aqueous solution having a pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.5, containing an acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid and hydrochloric acid hydrochloric acid.  
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the plastic material is dissolved in a mild acidic aqueous solution, more preferably having a pH in the range of 5.5 to 6.0, containing an acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid and hydrochloric acid hydrochloric acid.