Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Dry distilling common materials (plastics etc)

testimento - 25-6-2013 at 09:30

So I though what could I make by dry distilling all kind of random stuff around me. There are a million types of plastics, wood, organic stuff and other goo that could be a feasible source for some interesting chemicals. I have all stainless container which can hold pressure and temperature up to 20-30bars and 500C and it has connections for distilling, reflux, vacuum, stirrer, air and funnel inlet, drain line and other and the best part is I can burn stuff in it and remove the tar gunk with a sledgehammer and an angle grinder if other means are futile.

Plastics have aromatic and CH compounds in them, and some sources cite that polystyrene will generate styrene, pvc will generate HCl (and benzene by combustion), what about nylon, polyethene polypropene, etc?

vmelkon - 25-6-2013 at 19:40

I once read from a site that burning polystyrene produced 91 different compounds. I imagine that pyrolysis would create a lot of chemicals as well. The problem is separating them.

Some companies are working on doing this to produce some kind of oily liquid that can be used as diesel. Some home users do it as well (on youtube).

I wish I could get styrene from polystyrene.

crazyboy - 25-6-2013 at 19:49

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tEs7P6UUVQ&list=UUpMLFzcROOo_sDDp5VR28xw&index=12