Chemical Recycling of PET by Glycolysis: Polymerization and Characterization of the Dimethacrylated Glycolysate

Abstract

Abstract Summary: In the framework of chemical recycling of polymers, leading to the generation of secondary value‐added products, PET flakes taken from post‐consumer soft drink bottles, were glycolyzed with DEG. The oligomers obtained were analyzed for their molecular weight and characterized by FT‐IR and POM. Subsequently, dimethacrylated oligoesters of PET glycolysate (PET‐GLY‐DMA) were synthesized by methacrylation of the glycolyzed PET product. The resulted monomer PET‐GLY‐DMA was studied by FT‐IR, POM and DSC. Thermal polymerization of this monomer was carried out at 80 °C in the presence of benzoyl peroxide as initiator. A UV‐curable formulation was also prepared on the basis of neat PET‐GLY‐DMA, as well as by mixing PET‐GLY‐DMA with styrene, using DMPA as photoinitiator. Nanoparticles of SiO 2 were dispersed into PET‐GLY‐DMA/styrene copolymers as reinforcing agents and the mechanical properties of resins formed were studied. Preparation of methacrylated PET glycolysate. magnified image Preparation of methacrylated PET glycolysate.