Authors
Kazuki Fukushima, Olivier Coulembier, Julien M Lecuyer, Hamid A Almegren, Abdullah M Alabdulrahman, Fares D Alsewailem, Melanie A Mcneil, Philippe Dubois, Robert M Waymouth, Hans W Horn, Julia E Rice, James L Hedrick
Publication date
2011/3/1
Journal
Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry
Volume
49
Issue
5
Pages
1273-1281
Publisher
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
Description
We describe the organocatalytic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), using a commercially available guanidine catalyst, 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD). Postconsumer PET beverage bottles were used and processed with 1.0 mol % (0.7 wt %) of TBD and excess amount of ethylene glycol (EG) at 190 °C for 3.5 hours under atmospheric pressure to give bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) in 78% isolated yield. The catalyst efficiency was comparable to other metal acetate/alkoxide catalysts that are commonly used for depolymerization of PET. The BHET content in the glycolysis product was subject to the reagent loading. This catalyst influenced the rate of the depolymerization as well as the effective process temperature. We also demonstrated the recycling of the catalyst and the excess EG for more than 5 cycles. Computational and experimental studies showed that both TBD …
Total citations
20112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024169459613132227234128
Scholar articles
K Fukushima, O Coulembier, JM Lecuyer… - Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2011