Thermo-Catalytic Conversion of Waste Thermocol and Acrylic to Paint

Abstract

Waste thermocols and waste acrylic contribute towards environmental pollution due to their non-biodegradability, and improper disposal leads to respiratory and digestive problems in the human beings. This study proposes a thermo-chemical reutilization technique for  these materials for the synthesis  of paint-solvent. Paint solvents were experimentally synthesized using waste thermocol and spent acrylic via thermo-chemical processing. These solvents were further utilized to form paint with iron oxide and other pigments as pigment and raw thermocol as a binder. FTIR spectroscopy was performed to identify the organic functional groups in the liquid fraction obtained after thermo-chemical treatment. The liquid fraction obtained after the thermo-chemical treatment was uniformly mixed with a binder and pigment, and the resulting synthesized paint, whose characteristics were compared with those of conventional polystyrene paint. The use of waste thermocol and spent acrylic in the synthesis of paint not only reduces the amount of waste but also has the potential to replace resins and solvents in conventional paints  derived from refined crude oil byproducts. This study provides a promising solution to this waste management problem and highlights the potential use of waste materials in paint synthesis.