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Isn't polystyrene just styrene blocks chained together, meaning going from polystyrene to styrene should be quite doable? Full disclaimer, my chemistry knowled
by skinkestek 6y ago
Isn't polystyrene just styrene blocks chained together, meaning going from polystyrene to styrene should be quite doable?
Full disclaimer, my chemistry knowledge is very shallow (advanced high school level I guess).
- detaro 6y agoDoable, yes, but as the parent said you need lots of energy, because you need to tear the chemical bond apart again, and that is quite strong in polystyrene and thus doesn't easily depolymerize. If I remember right the industrial process for it is at a few hundred degrees C and high pressure. (solvents etc will do all kinds of weird things to polystyrene, but it won't just fall apart into styrene molecules again easily)
- skinkestek 6y agoThanks, makes sense then :-)
- aeoleonn 6y agoSo is the answer then that some synthetic chemicals remain? If so, do you know approximately which ones and in which amounts? Just curious.
- ars 6y ago> So is the answer then that some synthetic chemicals remain? That's the opposite of what he said. He said other chemicals can not be created.