PARTⅠ PYROLYSISCHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF PVC USING Na2S
Makoto Yoshihara, Guido Grause, Tomohito Kameda, Toshiaki Yoshioka*
Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Aramaki Aza Aoba 6-6-07,
Aobaku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
E-mail: yoshioka@env.che.tohoku.ac.jp
Abstract: The recycling of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is one of the important issues in thetreatment of waste plastics. In order to improve the recycling, developing new recycling
techniques is necessary as well as dehydrochlorination. We already found that PVC can be
dehydrochlorinated using a wet process in NaOH/ethylene glycol solution which is more
effective than dry dehydrochlorination processes.
Based on the wet process, we examined the chemical modification of PVC bynucleophilic substitution in order to upgrade waste PVC. Cl was substituted in solution by
several nucleophilic agents, changing the properties of PVC. The effect of the reaction ofPVC in Na2S/ethylene glycol solution at 170 ℃ was a dehydrochlorination rate of 60 % anda substitution yield of 25 %. The SEM-EDX mappings and the elementary analysis of theproduct indicated that the process led to the cross-linking of PVC by sulfur.
1. Introduction
Every year megatons of waste PVC are accumulate in Japan, however, only 35 % of thewaste PVC has been recycled. In order to improve the recycling, it is necessary to develop
new recycling techniques as well as dehydrochlorination. It was already known that PVC canbe dehydrochlorinated using a wet process in aqueous NaOH [1,2] or NaOH/ethylene glycol(EG) [3] solution under these conditions, which are milder and more effective than those of
dry processing, due to the nucleophilic substitution of Cl- by OH-, additional to theelimination of HCl. Based on the wet process, we research the chemical modification of PVC
by nucleophilic substitution and developed new polymers with new functional groups in orderto upgrade waste PVC during recycling. The upgrade during the recycling of PVC isexpressed by Eq. (1).
― CH2－CH ― + n Cl－Nu n－－― CH2－CH ― + n Nu－
Cl n

(1)

The Cl is substituted by the dissolved Nu. In this study, we examined chemicalmodification of PVC using sulfur-containing dianions like S2-. This process is expected tolead to the cross-linking of PVC and new properties of PVC.
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2. Experimental
The examined nucleophiles (Nu) were Na2S, Na2S2O3, and Na2SO3. 1.0 g of PVC
powder was added to 50 mL of Nu/H2O or Nu/EG solution in a 100 mL flask. The molar
Nu/Cl ratio was 1.0-4.0. The aqueous and EG solutions were stirred at 80 ºC and 150-190 ºC,
respectively, under a N2 flow of 100 mL/min. After cooling the reactor with water, thereactant was filtered, washed with deionized water, and dried under reduced pressure. Thesolid was analyzed by SEM-EDX mapping and its composition was determined by elementalanalyses. The chloride concentration of the filtrate was determined by ion-chromatography.

1050840

Dechlorination / %Dechlorination / %3. Results and discussion
3.1 Dehydrochlorination of PVC in a dianionic solution
Fig. 1 shows the effect of different nucleophiles on the dehydrochlorination of PVC in
aqueous solution. The dehydrochlorination of Na2S/H2O was 2.5% after 24 h. Both Na2S2O3and Na2SO3did not show any effect on the dehydrochlorination after 24 h reaction time.

64203020100012Time / h2406Time / hFig.1 Degree of dechlorination of PVC

Fig.2 Degree of dechlorination of PVC

powder in Nu/H2O solution at 80℃,

powder in Nu/EG solution at 190℃,[Nu]/[Cl]=4: (●)Na2S/H2O;[Nu]/[Cl]=4:(●)Na2S/EG;(□)Na2S2O3/H2O;(▲) Na2S2O3/H2O(□)Na2S2O3/EG;(▲) Na2S2O3/EG

12The dehydrochlorination in EG-solution was accelerated compared with that in water(Fig. 2). The presence of Na2S and Na2S2O3 the dehydrochlorination reached 19.1 % and4.6%, respectively, while Na2SO3 remained ineffective. These results reflect the strengths ofnucleophilic reactivity in the order Na2S > Na2S2O3 > Na2SO3.
3.2 Structure of PVC modified in Na2S/EG solution
The substitution of PVC is expressed by Formula (1). Chlorine is substituted by thedissolved Nu. In case of Na2S, however, various structures can be formed (Formula (2)).

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PARTⅠ PYROLYSIS
Besides unreacted chlorine, remaining after the substitution (a), cross-linked sulfur (b),thiolate groups (c), and double bonds (d) are observed.
－― CH2－CH ― + (b/2 + c) Na2SCl n…－CH－ …

－ －－ －－― CH2－CH ―― CH2－CH ―― CH2－CH ―― CH＝CH ― + b Na＋ + (b + c + d) Cl－ + d H＋ (2)bcdCl aSSNaThe yields of the substitution of Cl by S2- and the double bonds obtained by theelimination of HCl are calculated by the percentages of the different groups. The
dehydrochlorination ratio is therefore expressed by the percentage of (b + c + d) to n.
Fig. 3 shows the SEM and the Cl, S, and Na-mapping images, obtained by EDX from themodified PVC. For Fig. 3, Cl and S were observed in the modified PVC; however, Na was
not observed. This indicates that little thiol was formed, and S was mainly present in its
cross-linked form (c = 0).

SEM

Cl50 mm

NaS

50 mm

50 mm

50 mm

Fig.3 SEM and EDX Cl,S,and Na-mapping images of PVC modified in Na2S/ED solution
Fig. 4 shows the ratios of the different reactions, which modified the PVC under several
reaction conditions. Elementary analysis was used in order to calculate the ratios of thecross-linked S and the thiol groups. The substitution (FS) and elimination (FE) ratios in Fig. 4
were calculated according to the following equations.
F = [1 － 2 × (Cl / C)] × 100
FE = [3 － 2 × (H / C)] × 100
FS = F － FE

where F refers to the percentage of dehydrochlorination. Assuming S was solely present
in the form of thiols, the substitution ratio (FS, b = 0) is calculated according to the following
equations:FS, b = 0 = [2 × (S / C)] × 100- 17 -

The 5th ISFR (October 11-14, 2009, Chengdu, China)
Assuming S formed only cross-linked structures, the substitution ratio (FS, c = 0) is
calculated according to the following equations:FS, c = 0 = [2 × (2S / C)] × 100

According to Fig. 4, FS is in a close agreement with FS, c = 0, while FS, b = 0 is not able toexplain the substitution ratio, indicating that the substitution of Cl- by S2- led mainly to thecross-linking of PVC by sulfur. This corresponds with the results from the EDX mappings.

Reaction ratio / %

100
8060
40
200
[Na2S]/[Cl] = 4,190 ºC, 10 h

[Na2S]/[Cl] = 2,
190 ºC, 10 h

[Na2S]/[Cl] = 1,190 ºC, 10 h

[Na2S]/[Cl] = 2,
170 ºC, 10 hFig.4 Reaction ration of PVC modified in Na2S/EG solution in several reaction
conditions;(()substitution(FS,[(b+c)/n]×100);()un-cross-link(FS,b=0,(c/n)×100at b=0);()elimination(FE,(d/n)×100);)cross-link(FS,c=0,(b/n)×100at c=0)

3.3 Control of the reaction ratio of PVC during the modification with Na2S
The reaction conditions have a strong influence on the modification. Depending on thepurpose of use, different ratios between the reactions taking place might be required. Fig. 5shows the effect of temperature on the modification of PVC by Na2S. The yeilds of thedehydrochlorination at 130 ºC, 150 ºC, 170 ºC, and 190 ºC were 8.6 %, 47.6 %, 57.2 %, and52.7 %, respectively. This behaviour is unusual, since in general the dehydrochlorination ratio
increases with the temperature. However, S2- is oxidized at high temperatures by oxygen,dissolved in the EG. The formation of SO42- and S2O32- - ions with a weak nucleophilecharacter - reduced the dehydrochlorination efficiency at high temperatures. The ratios
between the substitution and the elimination were 0.09, 1.29, 0.81, and 0.68 at 130 ºC, 150 ºC,
170 ºC, and 190 ºC, respectively, resulting in the highest selectivity for the substitution at 150ºC.

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Reaction ratio / %

100
8060
40200130 ºC

150 ºC
170 ºC
Temperature

190 ºC

Fig.5 Effect of temperature on the reaction of PVC in Na2S/EG
solution,[Na2S]/[Cl]=2,10h:()substitution;()elimination
Fig. 6 shows the effect of the Na2S concentration on the modification of PVC at 190 ºC.
The yields for dehydrochlorination were 71.5 %, 52.7 %, and 19.2 % for the molar S/Cl ratioof 1, 2, and 4, respectively. In general, the dehydrochlorination of PVC increases with anincreasing Nu concentration. The vice versa effect of S2- might be cause by cross-linking ofPVC chains at the surface. By this, a deeper penetration of the PVC particle by the solvent
and the nucleophile is prevented, limiting the dehydrochlorination to the surface. The ratios
between the substitution and the elimination were 0.82, 0.68, and 0.45 for molar S/Cl ratio of1, 2, and 4, respectively. Therefore, the selectivities of the substitution(substitution/dechlorination ratio) were 0.45, 0.41, and 0.31, respectively.

Reaction ratio / %100806040
20
01

2[Na2S]/[Cl]4Fig. 6 Effect of Na2S concentration on the reactionof PVC in Na2S/EG solution at 190 ºC, 10 h:()substitution; ()elimination- 19 -The 5th ISFR (October 11-14, 2009, Chengdu, China)
4. Conclusions
The substitution of PVC was investigated in a dianionic solution. Na2S/EG solutions
were effective in modifying PVC, leading to the cross-linking of PVC by sulfur. The behaviorof S2- differed from nucleophiles, used for the modification of PVC due to oxidation of S2- byoxygen, dissolved in EG, and the hindered penetration of the PVC particles by the solvent due
to the cross-linking of PVC chains at the particle surface.
References[1] T. Yoshioka, S. Yasuda, K. Kawamura, T. Sato, Nippon Kagaku-kaishi 1992,
534.
[2] S. M. Shin, T. Yoshioka, A. Okuwaki, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 1998, 67, 2171.
[3] T. Yoshioka, T. Kameda, S. Imai, A. Okuwaki, Polym. Deg. Stab. 2008, 93, 1138.

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