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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effect of Processing Conditions on the Degradation and on the Recycling of Polycarbonate

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Polycarbonate, like other polycondensation polymers, can be easily recycled without significant loss of properties only with careful drying. Indeed, the presence of humidity strongly decreases the molecular weight of the polymer by hydrolytic chain scission. In this paper, the degradation and the recycling of an extrusion grade polycarbonate sample has been investigated considering mainly the effect of the humidity. Some degradation is observed also for the material reprocessed in dry conditions and due to the thermomechanical stress acting on the melt. The chain scission is strongly reduced if the processing is carried out under nitrogen flow. In these conditions less degradation effects are also observed for the dry material. Similar results are obtained in extrusion steps if the extrusion is carried out with degassing.