Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Clean Technology
Clean Technology
HIGH-YIELD PRODUCTION OF EPSILON-CAPROLACTAM FROM NYLON 6 PLASTIC WASTE VIA AMMONIA-ASSISTED DEPOLYMERIZATION
WARF: P240278US02

Inventors: Shannon Stahl, Xianyuan Wu, Yuriy Roman-Leshkov, Gregg Beckham


The Invention

Researchers from UW-Madison, MIT, and NLR have developed a method for recycling Nylon 6. The method, embodied in a one-pot reactor, consists of ammonolysis followed by cyclodeamination and is realized using an environmentally benign solvent, propanol, an H3PO4 catalyst, and occurs at a low reaction temperature of 180oC. The reaction yields ε-caprolactam, the key monomer used to create pristine Nylon 6 polymer. 

Additional Information
For More Information About the Inventors
For current licensing status, please contact Jennifer Gottwald at [javascript protected email address] or 608-960-9854

WARF