S09 : Investigating the variability of the non-thermal degradation of polystyrene in response to saturated forms of magnesium 
| Students | Yajur Iyengar
Taehyoan (David) Won |
| School | HWDSB - Westdale Secondary School - Hamilton |
| Level | Senior 11/12 - Grade 11 |
| Group | Group 1 - Earth and Environmental |
| Abstract | The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effectiveness of a magnesium hydroxide solution (MgOH(aq)) and sodium hydroxide solution (Ca(OH)2(aq)) as the catalysts for the non-thermal degradation of the compound polystyrene ( (C8H8)n) to the product of styrene oil, composed solely of the monomer styrene (C8H8). Based on prior research, the compound magnesium oxide (MgO(s)) was shown to be a very successful catalyst for the thermal degradation of polystyrene. However due to the significantly lesser amount of research in the area of the utilization of solution-based catalysts for this reaction, the main goal of this experiment was to determine the viability of using solutions to cause the completion of the reaction and produce the end product of styrene oil. In the original and much used thermal degradation of polystyrene, a pyrolysis reaction was used in conjunction with the solid base catalyst of magnesium oxide to produce the product of styrene oil. With this notion in mind, it was apparent that the same catalyst could be made into a solution in order to make use of the properties of a base to drive the reaction to completion. Magnesium oxide was then dissociated into water in order to create the basic solution of magnesium hydroxide. A basic solution was to be used due to the particulars of the degradation of polystyrene. Within in this reaction, a proton (H+ ion) is removed from the polymer chain beginning the reaction and causing the formation of the monomer styrene. Due to the fact that bases have the ability to act as proton acceptors, a basic solution is the ideal catalyst for the non-thermal degradation of polystyrene. An injection of energy into the system, as would be apparent by the use of a pyrolysis reaction, is replaced by the properties of the basic solution to begin the reaction instead. From this idea, it was then theorized that other stronger bases could be used as well to produce an equal if not more effective result. Thus, the strongly basic solution of calcium hydroxide was chosen as a suitable candidate for testing this hypothesis, in order to see if the non-thermal degradation of polystyrene is only limited to certain basic solutions. |