BRAINCAKEDisposal and Recycling of Polymers
Most polymers end up as waste, and each method of dealing with them has advantages and disadvantages.
Landfill
• For: cheap and easy; little sorting needed.
• Against: uses up land; non-biodegradable polyalkenes last for a very long time; decomposing waste can release methane, a greenhouse gas; toxic additives can leach into ground water.
Incineration (burning)
• For: greatly reduces the volume of waste; the heat released can generate electricity.
• Against: produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas; incomplete combustion gives toxic carbon monoxide; burning chlorine-containing polymers such as PVC releases toxic HCl, so waste gases must be treated, for example by passing them through a base.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
More in Condensation Polymers
- Condensation Polymers
- Polyesters
- Polyamides
- Nylon-6,6 and Kevlar
- Drawing Repeat Units
- Hydrogen Bonding between Polymer Chains
- Biodegradability of Polymers
All 8 lessons in Condensation Polymers · All AQA A-level Chemistry topics