CAST SHEET PRODUCTION: CASE STUDY OF ACRYLIC CAST SHEET COMPANY IN THAILAND

Acrylic, Trade name of Poly(methyl methacrylate):PMMA, scrap generated during the casting process of acrylic sheet is an industrial waste, which has a high impact on the acrylic cast sheet production cost and environment. This research presents the application of cleaner technology in the acrylic cast sheet production of the Pan Asia Industrial Co., Ltd., Thailand, which demonstrates the alternative way to reduce the processing cost of acrylic cast sheet and decrease industrial waste by using acrylic scraps recycle within the acrylic cast sheet process. The influence factors such as the concentrations of acrylic scrap and initiators on the preparation of acrylic cast sheet mixed with acrylic scrap were investigated. The physical and mechanical properties of the final products were examined. The results show the possible mean to recycle acrylic scraps into the acrylic cast sheet process, which was not affected the properties of the final acrylic cast sheet products. Finally, the environment impact and economic evaluation by the recycling of acrylic scraps were investigated by using the life cycle inventory (LCI) data for material grouping according to environmental and material properties. The results of the application of cleaner technology in the acrylic cast sheet production by mean of recycle acrylic scrap show the decrease of environmental impact and processing cost. Key words