The food-type polymers recycling into nano-sized carbon powder at atmospheric electric arc processing

The paper shows the possibility of recycling food-type polymeric material in an ultradisperse powdered carbon product. The process is realized in the plasma of a direct current (DC) arc discharge, initiated in an open air between graphite electrodes. According to X-ray diffractometry, the product consists of 21.7% of graphite and 78.3% of X-ray amorphous fraction. The product is represented by rounded particles with average sizes less than 100 nm. The maximum particle size distribution is in the range from 50 nm to 75 nm. (paper)