Method for alcoholysis of polycarbonate compositions containing flame retardant or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene

US8846858B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SAUDI BASIC INDUSTRIES CORPORATION · SA

Inventors

• Philip Wesley Bell · Mount Vernon, US
• Alexander Stanislaus · Kanchinakote, IN
• Venkata Ramanarayanan Ganapathy Bhotla · Bengaluru, IN
• Rathinam Jothi Mahalingam · Savanuru, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 2012
• Grant date: Sep 30, 2014
• Expiry date: Dec 21, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02W30/62
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The disclosure provides a method for alcoholysis of a polycarbonate-containing composition comprising a polycarbonate and a component comprising a phosphorus-containing flame retardant, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, or a combination of the phosphorus-containing flame retardant and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. The method comprises contacting the composition with a solvent that forms a solution or a filterable suspension of the component but not the polycarbonate; separating the solution or the filterable suspension from the polycarbonate; and heating the polycarbonate in the presence of an alcohol and a catalyst at a temperature from 70° C. to 200° C., and a pressure from 5 mbar to 40 bar for a time sufficient to depolymerize the polycarbonate and produce a dihydroxy aromatic compound and a dialkyl carbonate.