Chemical recycling of post-consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) driven by the protic ionic liquid 2-HEAA: Performance, kinetics and mechanism

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2024.113134
• Publication Date: 2024-05-22T01:09:59Z
• Authors: J.D. Badia; R. Ballesteros-Ga...; A. Gamir-Cobacho; O. Gil-Castell; A. Cháfer
• Keywords: Poly ethylene

The circular economy is a paradigm for the upcoming industrial era, in which plastic wastes must be focused on as new resources. Chemical valorisation permits deepening into waste-to-gate schemes by obtaining chemical platforms to reintroduced production market. In this context, potential of protic ionic liquid 2-hydroxyethyl ammonium acetate (2-HEAA) used homogeneous catalytic co-solvent glycolytic conversion post-consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was validated from different perspectives. Studies were performed reaction triplet framed under experimental conditions (i) temperature T [160,170,180 ºC], (ii) plastic-to-solvent mass ratio P/S [1:3, 1:4,1:5] and (iii) plastic-to-ionic P/IL [2:1, 2:2, 2:3]. confirmed terms transformation PET BHET (bis(2-hydroxyethyl proposal mechanism induced amine group 2-HEAA given. thermal kinetics modelled first-order equation an apparent activation energy 60.5 kJ·mol-1 obtained. A statistical Box-Behnken design experiments explained relationship between factors glycolysis response surface, with maximum around {T = 170 ºC, 1:3.75 2:1.75}, being statistically relevant, whereas only presence not its amount significant. Finally, reusability after 90-min valorisations up 4 cycles. results position promising scale-up PET.