Chemical recycling of poly(p-phenylene sulfide) in high temperature fluids

Poly(p-phenylene sulfide) (PPS) is the engineering plastic with high thermal stability. In this study, the effective decomposition reactions of PPS were confirmed in the high temperature fluids. In high temperature water, 50% conversion was attained at 430 °C by adding the basic compound although perfect solubilization could not be attained. However, in high temperature methanol, perfect solubilization was attained by the reaction at 430 °C. It was also confirmed that even by the reaction at 370 °C, conversion reached to 75% by the reaction in methanol for 5 h. Main reaction products of PPS in high temperature fluids were oligomers and monomeric compounds such as thiophenol, diphenyl sulfide, thioanisole and dibenzothiophene.