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Plastic Bottle (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Recycling Using Sulfuric Acid

The document discusses recycling plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using sulfuric acid. It aims to study the influence of acid concentration, temperature, reaction time, and particle size on the hydrolysis of PET plastic bottles into its monomers using sulfuric acid. The results will help determine the optimal reaction parameters for an efficient and environmentally friendly plastic bottle recycling method.

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Andrew John Cellona
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211 views

Plastic Bottle (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Recycling Using Sulfuric Acid

The document discusses recycling plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using sulfuric acid. It aims to study the influence of acid concentration, temperature, reaction time, and particle size on the hydrolysis of PET plastic bottles into its monomers using sulfuric acid. The results will help determine the optimal reaction parameters for an efficient and environmentally friendly plastic bottle recycling method.

Uploaded by

Andrew John Cellona
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PLASTIC BOTTLE (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) RECYCLING USING SULFURIC

ACID

CELLONA, ANDREW JOHN D.


CHM012 A2-2

ABSTRACT

The growing post-consumption plastic waste problem is a real concern that needs to
be resolved especially in the Philippines. Plastic bottles itself is not directly hazardous for the
natural environment but because it is a nondegradable plastic in normal conditions, it does
make up a considerable volume of all the municipal waste ending up in landfills. Because of
its high resistance to weathering and biological agents, it does not erode, and for this reason,
it is considered hazardous for the environment. The increase in the amount of PET waste has
led to economic and environmental problems. One of the best ways to process PET waste is
recycling. The chemical recycling of waste plastics has received much attention by some
scientists as a means of obtaining valuable products. The study aims to utilize the use of
commercial sulfuric acid for the hydrolysis of plastic bottle waste; the influence of various
reaction parameters will be studied as acid concentration, temperature, reaction time, and the
particles size. The results of this study will enable us to know the right reaction parameters of
sulfuric acid that is useful in the search for efficient and environmental friendly method of
recycling plastic bottles.

RATIONALE

Polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles are one of the most valuable forms of
plastic in the Philippines and the most retrieved due to its high residual value – or its
predicted value after consumption. PET bottles are commonly used in food and beverage
packaging. A study conducted by global advocacy firm McKinsey Center for Business and
Environment showed that the Philippines has one of the highest PET bottle recovery rates at
90 percent. The growing post-consumption plastic waste problem is a real concern that needs
to be resolved with the cooperation of all stakeholders in various industries and a revisit of
the consumption methods of the general public.
Chemical recycling is the most established and the only acceptable recycling method
in terms of ‘sustainable development’ and environmental protection. The start of PET
chemical recycling dates back to the 1950s when patents were filed by Vereinigte Glanzstoff-
Fabriken.

Chemical recycling is a term used to refer to advanced technological processes that


convert plastic materials into smaller molecules, usually liquids or gases that are suitable for
use as feedstock for the production of new petrochemicals and plastics. These low molecular
products can then be purified to produce high-quality chemical substances. Depending on the
reagent used in the degradation of PET, many valuable products are obtained

Hydrolysis is a method of recycling PET waste by reacting PET with water in an


acidic, alkaline or neutral environment, leading to its total depolymerization into its
monomers (terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG)) in the right conditions. This is
one of the most important methods of chemical recycling. Hydrolysis of PET flakes can be
carried out by acid hydrolysis.

DISCUSSION

Chemical recycling yields monomers, petroleum liquids and gases. Monomers are
purified by distillation and drying, and used for manufacture of polymers.

Acid hydrolysis is performed using commercial concentrated sulfuric acid. The


influence of various reaction parameters will be studied as acid concentration, temperature,
reaction time, and the particles size.

Acid concentration effect will tell us on what specific acid concentration will the
degradation of the plastic will occur. Effect of reaction temperature at constant acid
concentration, reaction time and particle size will tell us at what temperature hydrolysis will
start. Effect of reaction time will provide us the information on the time needed to achieve a
total conversion of the plastic bottle hydrolysis. Effect of particle size at constant
concentration, reaction time and temperature will allow us to know the ideal size of the
particle that is suitable for the conversion of the plastic bottles.

The use of sulphuric acid in the acid hydrolysis of plastic bottles will undergo various
test in its reaction parameter to determine the ideal values of concentration, temperature,
reaction time and particle size to obtain the optimum conversion of plastic bottles.
REFERENCES

BusinessMirror. (2018, July 3). PET bottles have 90 percent retrieval rate in the Philippines.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2018/07/03/pet-bottles-have-90-percent-retrieval-rate-
in-the-philippines

Carta, D., Cao, G. & D’Angeli, C. Chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (pet)
by hydrolysis and glycolysis. Environ Sci & Pollut Res 10, 390–394 (2003).
https://doi.org/10.1065/espr2001.12.104.8

Greener routes for recycling of polyethylene terephthalate. (2016, March 1). ScienceDirect.
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1110062115000148

Khoonkari, M. (2015, October 29). Chemical Recycling of PET Wastes with Different
Catalysts. Hindawi. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijps/2015/124524/

Langer, E., Bortel, K., Waskiewicz, S., & Lenartowicz-Klik, M. (2020). Methods of PET
Recycling. Plasticizers Derived from Post-Consumer PET, 127–171.
doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-46200-6.00005-2 

Tabekh, H., Koudsi, Y., & Ajji, Z. (2012). Chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate)
using sulfuric acid. Revue Roumaine de Chimie, 57, 1031-
1036. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283871196_Chemical_recycling_of_p
olyethylene_terephthalate_using_sulfuric_acid

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