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PET Recycling – Contributions of Crystallization to Sustainability
Author(s) -
Pudack Claudia,
Stepanski Manfred,
Fässler Peter
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemie ingenieur technik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1522-2640
pISSN - 0009-286X
DOI - 10.1002/cite.201900085
Subject(s) - polyethylene terephthalate , crystallization , materials science , polymer , thermoplastic , chemical engineering , polyethylene glycol , polymerization , ethylene , monomer , distillation , waste management , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , chemistry , catalysis , composite material , engineering
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common thermoplastic polymers and its durability has become a major environmental concern. The current public debate on plastic debris also triggered the revision of PET recycling technologies. This Research Article focuses on the chemical recycling of PET by means of methanolysis. The process degrades PET into two main reaction products, dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol (EG). Subsequent separation by distillation combined with crystallization removes critical impurities and non‐PET components from co‐polymers, providing monomers of high purity needed for re‐polymerization purposes.