Semi-automated styrofoam recycling machine

• Main Authors: Ching, Tyrone Phillip, Chuacokiong, Lionel, Tan, Harvey O., Tan, Ivan Gerhard Y.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Styrene; Styrene > Recycling; Recycling (Waste, etc)
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/14559
• Institution: De La Salle University

Expanded Polystyrene or Styrofoam, as it's commonly known, is a very practical and economical plastic. It is currently used in various applications in households, commercial establishments, schools, offices and industries all over the Philippines. Currently, our own De La Salle University and other establishments are aiming for a No Styro policy. This is because expanded polystyrene is a non biodegradable material with many environmental implications. Aside from occupying much space, burning polystyrene is very harmful to the environment. Although expanded polystyrene has countless benefits, economical recycling is difficult because it occupies lots of space while having only a small amount of raw material. One key step for solving this problem is creating a recycling system/machine that can be economical for sustainable recycling. The Semi-Automated Styrofoam Recycling Machine is a prototype created to aim for a more economical recycling here in the Philippines. The machine was able to prove that the recycling concept is viable and can be an alternative in solving the Styrofoam recycling problem. It successfully recycled polystyrene using Limonene as a dissolving agent through vacuum distillation as the method of extracting the polystyrene from the polystyrene-Limonene mixture. The Limonene gathered from the said mixture was eventually recovered and was proven to be still effective in acting as the dissolving agent. This research can provide a foundation in creating a Styrofoam recycling system that is both effective and economical.