Chemical recycling of nitrogen containing polymers: processes and industrial prospects

IF 26.1 1区化学 Q1 POLYMER SCIENCE

Progress in Polymer Science Pub Date : 2025-08-05 DOI:10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2025.102002

Sofie Houben , Marta Mestre Membrado , Lander Van Belleghem , Ion Olazabal , Niels Van Velthoven , Karolien Vanbroekhoven , Haritz Sardon , Dirk De Vos , Elias Feghali , Kathy Elst

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Abstract

Nitrogen containing polymers (NCPs), particularly polyurethanes (PU) and polyamides (PA), play a crucial role in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications, leading to exponential growth in recent years. The production of both polymers relies primarily on fossil-fuel-derived monomers and lacks sustainable waste disposal solutions. To reduce fossil-fuel dependency, scaling up chemical recycling to an industrial scale is essential. Various systems have been developed at a lab scale, nevertheless, progress toward industrial-scale implementation remains scarce. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the main chemical recycling approaches. Systems already operating at an industrial scale are reviewed separately and a general comparison of all techniques is made for each polymer. Beyond technical aspects, this review highlights broader challenges, including concerns with economic feasibility, regulatory constraints related to handling toxic compounds, and logistical challenges in waste collection. The future perspective gives an update on the state-of-the-art of chemical recycling and outlines the current limitations toward a fully circular economy for the two major NCPs.

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含氮聚合物的化学回收：工艺与工业前景

含氮聚合物（ncp），特别是聚氨酯（PU）和聚酰胺（PA），在广泛的工业和消费应用中发挥着至关重要的作用，导致近年来呈指数级增长。这两种聚合物的生产主要依赖于化石燃料衍生的单体，缺乏可持续的废物处理解决方案。为了减少对化石燃料的依赖，将化学回收扩大到工业规模是必不可少的。各种系统已经在实验室规模上开发出来，然而，向工业规模实施的进展仍然很少。本文综述了主要的化学回收方法。已经在工业规模上运行的系统分别进行了审查，并对每种聚合物的所有技术进行了一般比较。除了技术方面，本审查还强调了更广泛的挑战，包括对经济可行性的关注、与处理有毒化合物有关的监管限制以及废物收集方面的后勤挑战。未来展望提供了最新的化学品回收技术，并概述了目前两个主要国家实现完全循环经济的限制。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Progress in Polymer Science 化学-高分子科学

CiteScore

48.70

自引率

1.10%

发文量

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Progress in Polymer Science is a journal that publishes state-of-the-art overview articles in the field of polymer science and engineering. These articles are written by internationally recognized authorities in the discipline, making it a valuable resource for staying up-to-date with the latest developments in this rapidly growing field. The journal serves as a link between original articles, innovations published in patents, and the most current knowledge of technology. It covers a wide range of topics within the traditional fields of polymer science, including chemistry, physics, and engineering involving polymers. Additionally, it explores interdisciplinary developing fields such as functional and specialty polymers, biomaterials, polymers in drug delivery, polymers in electronic applications, composites, conducting polymers, liquid crystalline materials, and the interphases between polymers and ceramics. The journal also highlights new fabrication techniques that are making significant contributions to the field. The subject areas covered by Progress in Polymer Science include biomaterials, materials chemistry, organic chemistry, polymers and plastics, surfaces, coatings and films, and nanotechnology. The journal is indexed and abstracted in various databases, including Materials Science Citation Index, Chemical Abstracts, Engineering Index, Current Contents, FIZ Karlsruhe, Scopus, and INSPEC.