| Title: | Chemical recycling of compact discs (CDs) with high temperature high pressure water |
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| Authors: | ID Irgolič, Mihael (Author)
ID Čolnik, Maja (Author)
ID Škerget, Mojca (Author) |
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| Files: |  1-s2.0-S2405844026007383-main.pdf (3,32 MB)
MD5: 9F8C540C401538DE6CCB8A3CB2152B6C
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| Language: | English |
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| Work type: | Article |
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| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
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| Organization: | FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
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| Abstract: | The increasing accumulation of plastic-based electronic waste, such as compact discs (CDs), poses a major challenge to the environment due to their longevity and limited recyclability. This study investigates the hydrothermal degradation of end-of-life CDs – which are mainly composed of polycarbonate – under subcritical and supercritical water conditions as a sustainable approach for waste recycling. The hydrothermal treatments were carried out at temperatures ranging from 250 C to 450 ◦ C for reaction times of 5 to 60 min. The resulting product phases, i.e. water- soluble, diethyl ether (DEE)-soluble and solid gaseous, were quantified. The composition of the DEE-soluble phase was characterised by gas chromatography. The results showed a strong dependence of the product distribution on temperature and residence time. The yield of the DEE- soluble phase peaked at 450 ◦ C after 5 min (96.9 ± 1.0 %) and decreased at longer reaction times due to secondary decomposition into gas phase products. The major organic compounds in the DEE phase included bisphenol A, phenol and 4-isopropylphenol, while the concentration of other phenol derivatives such as 4-ethylphenol, 4-methylphenol (p-cresol) and 4-isopropenylphenol was generally low and below 5 %. These results show that hydrothermal treatment effectively converts waste CDs into valuable liquid and gaseous products, thereby reducing the amount of solid waste. The process offers a promising strategy for the recovery of resources from waste CDs. |
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| Keywords: | compact discs, polycarbonate, chemical recycling, hydrothermal degradation, subcritical and supercritiacal water, bisfenol A |
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| Publication status: | Published |
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| Publication version: | Version of Record |
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| Submitted for review: | 26.07.2025 |
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| Article acceptance date: | 17.07.2026 |
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| Publication date: | 18.07.2026 |
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| Publisher: | Elsevier Ltd. |
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| Year of publishing: | 2026 |
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| Number of pages: | 11 str. |
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| Numbering: | Vol. 12, iss. 13, [Article no.] e45225 |
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| PID: | 20.500.12556/DKUM-98969  |
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| UDC: | 54-139 |
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| ISSN on article: | 2405-8440 |
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| COBISS.SI-ID: | 285639939 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e45225 |
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| Copyright: | © 2026 The Authors
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| Publication date in DKUM: | 22.07.2026 |
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| Views: | 289 |
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| Downloads: | 10 |
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| Metadata: |    |
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| Categories: | Misc.
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