Development of Emission Factors for Polycarbonate Processing

Abstract

Emission factors for selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate emissions were developed while processing eight commercial grades of polycarbonate (PC) and one grade of a PC/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) blend. A small commercial-type extruder was used, and the extrusion temperature was held constant at 304 degrees C. An emission factor was calculated for each substance measured and is reported as pounds released to the atmosphere/million pounds of polymer resin processed [ppm (wt/wt)]. Scaled to production volumes, these emission factors can be used by processors to estimate emission quantities from similar PC processing operations.

Development of Emission Factors for Polyamide Processing

“…It would be a daunting task to design and implement emission studies for all combinations of extrusion variables. 9 To strike a balance between the inapplicability of static tests and the complexity of measuring each process, the SPI and major polyamide producers initiated work to develop baseline emission factors for polyamide processing under conditions that would provide reasonable reference data for similar processing operations. The seven resin types were evaluated and included a polyamide 66 homopolymer, a low-caprolactam polyamide 6 homopolymer, a polyamide 66/6 copolymer, an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)-toughened polyamide 66, a toughened polyamide 6, a mixture of polyamide 66 and polyamide 66/6 flame retarded with melamine, and a polyamide 66/6 flame retarded with Dechlorane Plus.…”

“…This data was presented at an Air & Waste Management Conference in New Orleans in December 1998. 9 Reprints are available from SPI.…”

Particle and volatile organic compound emissions from a 3D printer filament extruder

“…A study in 2008 found that a large, industrial sized, twin-screw extruder produced airborne particles when using nano-aluminum oxide additive and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or ABS as feedstocks (Tsai et al, 2008). A study in 2002 looking at extrusion of polycarbonate (PC) and a PC/ABS blend from a large, industrial sized, singlescrew extruder found that, while overall emissions were low, the PC/ABS blend had the highest emissions of particulates and VOCs (Rhodes et al, 2002). A study in 2015 found that extrusion of ABS plastic solid waste using an industrial extruder released styrene, ethylbenzene, xylene, toluene, and i-propylbenzene (He et al, 2015).…”