Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/3362
Date of Award
6-2026
Degree Name
MS in Polymers and Coatings
Department/Program
Chemistry & Biochemistry
College
College of Science and Mathematics
Advisor
Sarah Zeitler
Advisor Department
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Advisor College
College of Science and Mathematics
Abstract
As the plastic waste crisis continues to grow and mechanical recycling falls short in mitigating plastic waste, the need for sustainable and practical recycling methods has become increasingly apparent. Ball mill grinding (BMG) is a mechanochemical technique that can be used for the sustainable depolymerization of polymers without the need for extreme temperatures or catalysts, making it a potential method for the chemical recycling and upcycling of plastic materials. Currently, there is limited research regarding the use of BMG as a depolymerization technique, resulting in knowledge gaps surrounding the kinetics of BMG depolymerization and the polymers to which it can be applied. To expand the application of BMG depolymerization to polyacrylates and aged polyacrylic materials, BMG parameters, including milling frequency, milling ball size, and liquid-assisted grinding, were optimized to maximize depolymerization efficiency and monomer recovery. Poly(n-butyl acrylate) was successfully depolymerized by 5%, and depolymerization was also observed during the BMG of an aged polyacrylic coating.