Background

Each year, billions of lbs of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) are discarded as waste. While some of the material is separated, recycled and incorporated into new materials, the degradation of the polymers back to their original monomers (a.k.a. chemical recycling) remains prohibitive due to the cost. MSU researchers have recently developed a new technology for chemical recycling PET and PETG that is fast and provides an economical route to monomer recovery.

Technology Overview

This invention is a novel process that involves melt processing of PET and/or PETG in the presence of a catalyst. The polymer melt is then charged to hot solvent where it is degraded back to monomers and oligomers in short time. By