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Glycolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) wastes in xylene
Author(s) -
Güçlü G.,
Kas¸göz A.,
Özbudak S.,
Özgümüs¸ S.,
Orbay M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19980919)69:12<2311::aid-app2>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - ethylene glycol , depolymerization , monomer , xylene , materials science , polymer chemistry , ethylene , p xylene , dimethyl terephthalate , diethylene glycol , polymer , organic chemistry , chemistry , catalysis , toluene
To reclaim the monomers or prepare intermediates suitable for other polymers zinc acetate catalayzed glycolysis of waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was carried out with ethylene or propylene glycol, with PET/glycol molar ratios of1 : 0.5–1 : 3, in xylene at 170–245°C. During the multiphase reaction, depolymerization products transferred to the xylene medium from the dispersed PET/glycol droplets, shifting the equilibrium to glycolysis. Best results were obtained from the ethylene glycol (EG) reaction at 220°C, which yielded 80 mol % bis‐2‐hydroxyethyl terephthalate monomer and 20 mol % dimer fractions in quite pure crystalline form. Other advantages of employment of xylene in glycolysis of PET were improvement of mixing at high PET/EG ratios and recycling possibility of excess glycol, which separates from the xylene phase at low temperatures. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 2311–2319, 1998