Low energy depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate)
발표자
()
초록
내용
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most extensively used plastics due to its advantageous properties such as high mechanical properties, thermal stability, and good processability. However, its inherent superior physical/chemical properties hinder efficient recycling processes. Among current PET chemical recycling methods, considerable attention is directed towards the transformation of PET into bis(2-hydroxyethyk) terephthalate (BHET) given that BHET is able to be directly polymerized to PET. Nevertheless, this progress would likely encounter technological hurdles for large-scale production such as post purification process, low atom economy, and use of large amount of solvents. In this regard, we intend to proceed depolymerization of PET to obtain readily re-polymerizable molecules through one-pot catalytic process that does not require further purification step. In addition, we systematically investigated the effects of reaction time, temperature, and catalyst on depolymerization kinetics and thermodynamics.