Catalytic degradation of polystyrene using albite and montmorillonite

The performance of albite and montmorillonite clay in the catalytic degradation of polystyrene (PS) was investigated in this study. The degradation was carried out in a semi-batch reactor with a mixture of PS and catalyst at 400-450 degrees C. Untreated montmorillonite (Mont), aluminium pillared montmorillonite (Al-PILMont), and albite (HA) showed good catalytic activity for the degradation of PS with very high selectivity to aromatic liquids. Al-PILMont has bigger pore volume and surface area than untreated Mont as a result of pillaring. The amount of residue decreased as HA>Mont>Al-PILMont, which is consistent with the order of pore volume and surface area. The effect of reaction temperature and contact time on the distribution of aromatics is also discussed for HA catalytst.