Abstract
Poly(bisphenol A carbonate)(PC) was degraded in a fluidized bed reactor filled with catalytically active magnesium oxide. Two sets of conditions were investigated, hydrolysis using steam at 500 °C and pyrolysis at 480 °C. The hydrolysis reaction yielded 7.8 wt% gaseous products, 87.5 wt% solid products, and 4.8 wt% solid residue in the reactor. No liquid products were obtained. The yield of the pyrolysis was 14.4 wt% gas, 29.9 wt% low boiling oil, 16.7 wt% high boiling oil, and 39 wt% solid residue. The degradation was also studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to obtain the apparent kinetic parameters of the reaction. The TGA experiments were performed at four different conditions: He atmosphere, He atmosphere and MgO as a catalyst mixed with the PC, 75% steam atmosphere (balance: He), and 75% steam atmosphere and MgO as a catalyst. The activation energies were found to be 240 kJ mol-1 in He atmosphere, 170 kJ mol-1 in He atmosphere and MgO as a catalyst. Under hydrolytic conditions, the values obtained were 69 kJ mol-1 in steam atmosphere, and around 20 kJ mol-1 for steam and MgO.
