Recycling methods of poly(ethylene-terephthalate)

Prilikom procesa proizvodnje i trošenjem materijalnih dobara povećava se onečišćenje okoliša. Porast količine otpadnih polimernih materijala vodi ka većem interesu njihovog recikliranja. Zbog svojih svojstava, poli(etilen-tereftalat) (PET) ima vrlo široku primjenu. Svojstva su to poput nepropusnosti, otpornosti na naprezanje, niske mase, prozirnosti i mogućnosti lakog dizajniranja. Navedena svojstva čine PET široko primjenjivim i omogućuju da se najčešće koristi kao ambalažni materijal i u industriji vlakana. Unatoč tome što PET nije biorazgradljiv polimerni materijal, svoju široku primjenu pronalazi zbog mogućnosti potpunog recikliranja. U ovome radu dan je pregled sinteze, svojstava, primjene i postupaka recikliranja PET-a. Prije samog postupka recikliranja PET je potrebno prikupiti, razdvojiti i pripremiti usitnjavanjem i pranjem. Tehnologija recikliranja napredovala je tijekom godina zbog sve veće potražnje i potrošnje PET-a. Razvijene su različite metode recikliranja PET-a poput mehaničkog, kemijskog, energijskog recikliranja i otopinskog oporavka.There is an overwhelming evidence which suggests that the process of manufacturing polymer materials, results in elevated environmental pollution levels. As the demand for these materials has rapidly accelerated, attention has turned to recycling of polymer waste. Due to its properties, poly(ethylene-terephthalate) (PET) has many useful applications. Some of these properties include impermeability, high resistance to wear and physical stress, low mass, transparency and easy design. These properties mean that PET is an extremely versatile material, which is the reason why it is used in the mass production of food and liquid containers and in the industry of fibers. Despite all the benefits of PET use, the drawback is that it’s a non-biodegradable material. The only reason why PET usage at this scale is sustainable, is because it can be recycled successfully. This work is an overview of the synthesis, properties, applications and recycling methods that apply to PET. Before the recycling procedure, the commence, collecting, sorting and washing of the material is required. The recycling has proved to be necessary due to the rapid increase in PET demand and usage. Many different methods of PET recycling have been developed: mechanical, chemical, energy recycling and solution recovery