Abstract
Fiber Reinforced Plastics, FRP, applied for bath units and pleasure boats, are very difficult to be recycled. Then, most of them are landfilled today. To accomplish the Horizontal Recycling Technology for FRP, Sub-critical Water Hydrolysis were examined. Reaction temperature at 360°C, only 20wt% of the total thermo-setting polyester resin existed in the reaction liquid as reusable matters due to pyrolysis of styrene bridges. To suppress the pyrolysis, the reaction was conducted at 230°C, which the pyrolysis of styrene bridges was believed to occur. As a result of measuring the concentration of glycol and fumaric-acid in the reaction liquid, 71 wt% of initial glycol and 22wt% of initial fumaric-acid were existed. In addition, solid were extracted in thereaction liquid and its weight corresponded 75wt% of initial total thermo-setting polyester resin. The molecular-structure study of the solid was conducted and determined that the solid was styrene-fumaric acid copolymer. It was suggested that it is usable as a raw material for a functionsl polymer. The result showed that 96wt% of initial total thermosetting polyester resin existed as reusable matters in the reaction liquid.
