Degeneration of Plastic

[horizon_mj1]

I am not a student, but am a hobbiest of most all sciences. I would like to know if it would be plausable to put poly base materials into a deoxygenated, compression chamber to recreate hydrogen sulfide? I realize that polymers have an unstable atomic weight and am curious if this would cause an unstable atmosphere during the process.

[mississippichem]

What do you mean by an unstable molecular weight? Some molecules are unstable on thermodynamic, electronic, or geometric grounds. Conditions such as heat, pH, pressure, local electrostatic potential or the presence of certain frequencies of EM radiation cause molecules to be unstable in certain situations. I've never seen a compound that was unstable directly as a result of high molecular weight. Some proteins have molecular weights in the 100,000's and are stable in neutral solution. [ce] SiO_2 [/ce] exist in a infinite covalent lattice and can be said to have very very high molecular weights depending on if you count unit cells outside crystal grain boundaries.

[horizon_mj1]

I realize that a high molecular weight would not destabilize the molecule. The information I recieved is from a site that was explaining the extraction of poymers from fossil fuels. After further research, I found that polymers will return to hydrogen sulfide when placed in an oxygen free, pressurized environment. Has any research been done on this, I can not find any and would greatly appricate any information.

My reasoning behind these questions pertain to the possibility of placing plasics into pressurized, deoxified containment to make hydrogen sulfide.

Edited August 23, 2010 by horizon_mj1

[Fuzzwood]

As polymers are long hydrocarbon chains with functional groups as depicted by their names, i expect a fusion reactor is needed to produce hydrogen sulphide from them.

[John Cuthber]

As polymers are long hydrocarbon chains with functional groups as depicted by their names, i expect a fusion reactor is needed to produce hydrogen sulphide from them.

 

Some polymers contain sulphur, polysulphone for example. Rubber, one of the best known polymers, generally contains sulphur as part of the vulcanisation process.

Heating these in the absence of oxygen might produce some H2S, but the yield probably wouldn't be good.

 

(Also not all polymers contain long carbon chains; the polysulphide rubbers would be a case in point here)

[horizon_mj1]

Thank you all very much for your input. One last question. Is it possible if "rubbeized" polymers were dropped from the process to attempt recreating H2S and could this increase the yield?