Each year about 6,000 tonnes of rigid polyurethane (PUR) was produced from the dismantling of waste refrigerators. Meanwhile, the final treatment method of waste PUR is very limited, and waste PUR has not been recycled or reutilized at all. The project aims to develop a high-value recycling technology for waste PUR based on the physical and chemical recovery methods adopted in Europe. Waste PUR will be converted into recycled materials or products with market approval. Therefore, reduce the use of incinerators and increase the economic benefits of recycling. 　　The aim of this project is to establish the processing parameters for converting waste PUR into high-value recycled materials or products. The physical and chemical properties of the recycled PUR powder had been examined first. The effectiveness of different modification methods were then tested and it was found that modification method SIb4 showed the best performance, as the mechanical strength of the recycled foam improved from 82% to 101%. In terms of chemical recycling, a two-stage glycolysis process was adopted, and the use of diethylene glycol (DEG) was found to be most efficient. In the foaming test with adding 20% recycled polyol, better performance was observed regarding heat insulation and compressive strength than that of using fresh raw materials. Based on the results of physical recycling, 3 sets of tables were produced by adding 15% modified PUR powder. The outcome of this project is expected to be used in the future for process optimization and industrial scale-up to achieve sustainable development and circular economy.

waste polyurethane (PUR), physical recycling, chemical recycling