Depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate in supercritical methanol

The degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in supercritical methanol was investigated with the aim of developing a process for chemical recycling of waste plastics. A batch reactor was used at temperatures of 573–623 K under an estimated pressure of 20 MPa for a reaction time of 2–120 min. PET was decomposed to its monomers, dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol, by methanolysis in supercritical methanol. The reaction products were analysed using size-exclusion chromatography, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The molecular weight distribution of the products was obtained as a function of reaction time. The yields of monomer components of the decomposition products including by-products were measured. Continuous kinetics analysis was performed on the experimental data.