Process for the recovery of epsilon-caprolactam from nylon 6 carpet

摘要

A process for the continuous recovery of ε-caprolactam provides a carpet made from nylon 6 fibers and having a backing to a separator to prepare scrap containing nylon 6 and waste. The scrap from the separator is fed to a depolymerizing reactor where the scrap is subjected to a depolymerization catalyst, temperatures of at least the melting point of nylon 6 and superheated steam to produce an ε-caprolactam containing distillate and more waste. The ε-caprolactam in the distillate is separated from other volatiles therein; and purified.