Simultaneous treatment of PVC and oyster-shell wastes by mechanochemical means

This work presents a new process for dechlorinating poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) by the use of oyster-shell waste. The process consists of milling of PVC waste with oyster-shell waste, followed by washing the milled sample with water. The milling of PVC and oyster-shell mixture results in size reduction and rupture in bonds, leading to mechanically induced reactions between the two to form CaCl2 and hydrocarbon with CC bonds. Washing the milled mixtures with water at room temperature allows complete removal of chlorine from the milled sample. More than 95% of chlorine in PVC was removed when 2 h grinding is conducted for the mixture. The present process could offer a potential route to the handling and disposal of oyster-shell and PVC wastes.