An Experimental Approach to Determining the Average Diffusion Coefficient of Volatile Components in Polymer Waste Materials

One of the major challenges in recycling plastics is removal undesired volatile components from polymeric phase, which may reduce process efficiency and negatively affect product quality. Accordingly, industry employs a broad range degassing techniques, often depends on diffusion coefficient—a measure mass transport phases. The aim this study was to develop practically feasible experimental approach using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) determine average coefficient polymer waste materials. First, TGA method validated with pressure decay apparatus (PDA) predefined binary material mixtures: Thin sheets were pressed virgin high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polypropylene (PP) deliberately saturated toluene sorption experiment. These samples then used PDA desorption experiments at 60 °C, 80 °C 100 yielded similar results an difference 7.4% for HDPE-toluene system 14.7% PP-toluene system. When validated, employed post-industrial plastic melt temperature 220 °C. proposed contributes understanding diffusion-based materials provides key parameter model-based control optimization. In practice, can be predict performance extrusion mechanical waste.