Quantum tunnelling dominates chloride leaching from polyvinyl chloride.

Published in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) (2024)

Chloride leaching/removal is a fundamental reaction of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), pertinent to PVC recycling and environmental impacts. We show that quantum tunnelling (QT) drives >90% of chloride leaching from PVC to water at all environmentally relevant temperatures offering new insights into plastic degradation and transformation processes.

Keyphrases

heavy metals
sewage sludge
municipal solid waste
drug induced
climate change
monte carlo