Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET Wastes

The chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) –PET– fractions, derived from actual household packaging waste streams, using solvolysis, was investigated. This recycling strategy was applied after a previous on-line automatic identification, by near-infrared spectroscopy –NIR–, and a subsequ...

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Main Authors: Asier Asueta, Sixto Arnaiz, Rafael Miguel-Fernández, Jon Leivar, Izotz Amundarain, Borja Aramburu, Jose Ignacio Gutiérrez-Ortiz, Rubén López-Fonseca
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-10-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/20/4196
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author Asier Asueta
Sixto Arnaiz
Rafael Miguel-Fernández
Jon Leivar
Izotz Amundarain
Borja Aramburu
Jose Ignacio Gutiérrez-Ortiz
Rubén López-Fonseca
author_facet Asier Asueta
Sixto Arnaiz
Rafael Miguel-Fernández
Jon Leivar
Izotz Amundarain
Borja Aramburu
Jose Ignacio Gutiérrez-Ortiz
Rubén López-Fonseca
author_sort Asier Asueta
collection DOAJ
description The chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) –PET– fractions, derived from actual household packaging waste streams, using solvolysis, was investigated. This recycling strategy was applied after a previous on-line automatic identification, by near-infrared spectroscopy –NIR–, and a subsequent selective sorting of the different PET materials that were present in the packaging wastes. Using this technology, it was possible to classify fractions exclusively including PET, virtually avoiding the presence of both other plastics and materials, such as paper, cardboard and wood, that are present in the packaging wastes, as they were efficiently recognised and differentiated. The simple PET fractions, including clear and monolayered materials, were adequate to be recycled by mechanical means meanwhile the complex PET fractions, containing highly coloured and multi-layered materials, were suitable candidates to be recycled by chemical routes. The depolymerisation capacity of the catalytic glycolysis, when applied to those complex PET wastes, was studied by evaluating the effect of the process parameters on the resulting formation and recovery of the monomer bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate –BHET– and the achieved quality of this reaction product. Comparable and reasonable results, in terms of monomer yield and its characteristics, were obtained independently of the type of complex PET waste that was chemically recycled.
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spelling doaj.art-2b778688dbd84d708eb49e995c45fcf52023-11-19T17:52:34ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-10-011520419610.3390/polym15204196Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET WastesAsier Asueta0Sixto Arnaiz1Rafael Miguel-Fernández2Jon Leivar3Izotz Amundarain4Borja Aramburu5Jose Ignacio Gutiérrez-Ortiz6Rubén López-Fonseca7GAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 202, 48170 Zamudio, Bizkaia, SpainGAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 202, 48170 Zamudio, Bizkaia, SpainGAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 202, 48170 Zamudio, Bizkaia, SpainGAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 202, 48170 Zamudio, Bizkaia, SpainGAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 202, 48170 Zamudio, Bizkaia, SpainGAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 202, 48170 Zamudio, Bizkaia, SpainChemical Technologies for Environmental Sustainability Group, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, SpainChemical Technologies for Environmental Sustainability Group, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, SpainThe chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) –PET– fractions, derived from actual household packaging waste streams, using solvolysis, was investigated. This recycling strategy was applied after a previous on-line automatic identification, by near-infrared spectroscopy –NIR–, and a subsequent selective sorting of the different PET materials that were present in the packaging wastes. Using this technology, it was possible to classify fractions exclusively including PET, virtually avoiding the presence of both other plastics and materials, such as paper, cardboard and wood, that are present in the packaging wastes, as they were efficiently recognised and differentiated. The simple PET fractions, including clear and monolayered materials, were adequate to be recycled by mechanical means meanwhile the complex PET fractions, containing highly coloured and multi-layered materials, were suitable candidates to be recycled by chemical routes. The depolymerisation capacity of the catalytic glycolysis, when applied to those complex PET wastes, was studied by evaluating the effect of the process parameters on the resulting formation and recovery of the monomer bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate –BHET– and the achieved quality of this reaction product. Comparable and reasonable results, in terms of monomer yield and its characteristics, were obtained independently of the type of complex PET waste that was chemically recycled.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/20/4196household packaging wasteplastic wastehighly coloured PETmulti-layered PETon-line identificationNIR
spellingShingle Asier Asueta
Sixto Arnaiz
Rafael Miguel-Fernández
Jon Leivar
Izotz Amundarain
Borja Aramburu
Jose Ignacio Gutiérrez-Ortiz
Rubén López-Fonseca
Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET Wastes
Polymers
household packaging waste
plastic waste
highly coloured PET
multi-layered PET
on-line identification
NIR
title Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET Wastes
title_full Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET Wastes
title_fullStr Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET Wastes
title_full_unstemmed Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET Wastes
title_short Viability of Glycolysis for the Chemical Recycling of Highly Coloured and Multi-Layered Actual PET Wastes
title_sort viability of glycolysis for the chemical recycling of highly coloured and multi layered actual pet wastes
topic household packaging waste
plastic waste
highly coloured PET
multi-layered PET
on-line identification
NIR
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/20/4196
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