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Glycolysis of polyethylene terephthalate waste fibers
Author(s) -
Shukla S. R.,
Harad Ajay M.
Publication year - 2005
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/app.21769
Subject(s) - depolymerization , polyethylene terephthalate , polyester , monomer , sodium hydroxide , catalysis , acetic acid , materials science , ethylene glycol , polymerization , nuclear chemistry , potassium hydroxide , ethylene , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , chemistry , chemical engineering , polymer , composite material , engineering
Glycolysis of polyethylene terephthalate waste fibers was carried out using excess ethylene glycol in the presence of different simple chemicals, namely, glacial acetic acid, lithium hydroxide, sodium sulfate, and potassium sulfate. Good yields (> 60%) of the monomer bis(2‐hydroxyethylene terephthalate) were obtained using these chemicals as depolymerization catalysts. The purified monomer was characterized by elemental analysis, melting point, IR spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The qualitative and quantitative yields of the monomer obtained using these catalysts are most comparable with the conventionally used heavy metal catalysts such as zinc acetate and lead acetate. The chemicals used, being cheap and comparatively less harmful to the environment, offer further advantages in chemical recycling of polyester waste fibers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 513–517, 2005