Patent ID: 7056956

Claim:
A process comprising: contacting a plastic with a solvent capable of dissolving the plastic, to dissolve the plastic, precipitating the plastic dissolved in the solvent with water in the presence of a non-polar organic phase-separating agent to form a mixture comprising the solvent, water, the phase separating agent and precipitated plastic, and substantially removing the solvent and the phase-separating agent from the mixture comprising the solvent, water, the phase separating agent and the precipitated plastic, by evaporation at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water to form a vapor comprising the solvent and the separating agent; wherein the phase-separating agent is compatible with the solvent and incompatible with water, the phase-separating agent is present during contacting the plastic with the solvent, and the phase-separating agent improves the dissolution of the plastic by the solvent.