Total glycolysis, methanolysis, and hydrolysis

The analysis of polyester decay through absolute glycolysis to absolutely catechumen the polyester to bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (C6H4(CO2CH2CH2OH)2). This admixture is antiseptic by exhaustion distillation, and is one of the intermediates acclimated in polyester accomplish (see production). The acknowledgment complex is as follows:

(CO)C6H4(CO2CH2CH2O)n + n HOCH2CH2OH → n C6H4(CO2CH2CH2OH)2

This recycling avenue has been accomplished on an automated calibration in Japan as beginning production.citation needed

Similar to absolute glycolysis, methanolysis converts the polyester to dimethyl terephthalate, which can be filtered and exhaustion distilled:

(CO)C6H4(CO2CH2CH2O)n + 2n CH3OH → n C6H4(CO2CH3)2

Methanolysis is alone rarely agitated out in industry today because polyester assembly based on dimethyl terephthalate has diminished tremendously, and abounding dimethyl terephthalate producers accept disappeared.23

Also as above, polyethylene terephthalate can be anatomize to terephthalic acerbic and ethylene glycol beneath top temperature and pressure. The resultant awkward terephthalic acerbic can be antiseptic by recrystallization to crop actual acceptable for re-polymerization:

(CO)C6H4(CO2CH2CH2O)n + 2n H2O → n C6H4(CO2H)2 + n HOCH2CH2OH

This adjustment does not arise to accept been commercialized yet