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Ha GS, Rashid MAM, Oh DH, Ha JM, Yoo CJ, Jeon BH, Koo B, Jeong K, Kim KH. Integrating experimental and computational approaches for deep eutectic solvent-catalyzed glycolysis of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate. Waste Manag 2024; 174:411-419. [PMID: 38103351 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
To achieve a sustainable and circular economy, developing effective plastic recycling methods is essential. Despite advances in the chemical recycling of plastic waste, modern industries require highly efficient and sustainable solutions to address environmental problems. In this study, we propose an efficient glycolysis strategy for post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) to produce bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) with high selectivity. Choline chloride (ChCl)- and urea-based DESs were synthesized using various metal salts and were tested for the glycolysis of PET waste; ChCl-Zn(OAc)2 exhibited the best performance. The DES-containing solvent system afforded a complete PET conversion, producing BHET at a high yield (91.6%) under optimal reaction conditions. The degradation mechanism of PET and its interaction with DESs were systematically investigated using density functional theory-based calculations. Furthermore, an intuitive machine learning model was developed to predict the PET conversion and BHET selectivity for different DES compositions. Our findings demonstrate that the DES-catalyzed glycolysis of post-consumer PET could enable the development of a sustainable chemical recycling process, providing insights to identify the new design of DESs for plastic decomposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geon-Soo Ha
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Md Al Mamunur Rashid
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Da Hae Oh
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Myeong Ha
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Chun-Jae Yoo
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Byong-Hun Jeon
- Department of Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Bonwook Koo
- School of Forestry Sciences and Landscape Architecture, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Keunhong Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Military Academy, Seoul 01805, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kwang Ho Kim
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; KIST-SKKU Carbon-Neutral Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Ha GS, Al Mamunur Rashid M, Ha JM, Yoo CJ, Jeon BH, Jeong K, Kim KH. Enhancing polyethylene terephthalate conversion through efficient microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent-catalyzed glycolysis. Chemosphere 2024; 349:140781. [PMID: 38006913 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Chemical recycling of plastics is a promising approach for effectively depolymerizing plastic waste into its constituent monomers, thereby contributing to the realization of a sustainable circular economy. Glycolysis, which converts polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into the monomer bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), has emerged as a cost-effective and commercially viable chemical recycling process. However, glycolysis requires long reaction times and high energy consumption, limiting its industrialization. In this study, we develop an energy-efficient microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent-catalyzed glycolysis method to degrade PET effectively and rapidly, resulting in a high BHET yield. This combined approach enables the quantitative degradation of PET within 9 min, achieving a high BHET yield of approximately 99% under optimal reaction conditions. Furthermore, the proposed approach has a low specific energy consumption (45 kJ/g) and minimizes waste generation. The thermal behavior of PET and its degradation mechanism are systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy and density functional theory-based calculations. The results obtained suggest that the proposed straightforward, swift, and energy-efficient strategy has the potential to offer a sustainable solution to plastic waste management challenges and expedite the industrialization of chemical recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geon-Soo Ha
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Md Al Mamunur Rashid
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Myeong Ha
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Energy and Environment Technology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Chun-Jae Yoo
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Byong-Hun Jeon
- Department of Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Keunhong Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Military Academy, Seoul, 01805, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Ho Kim
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; KIST-SKKU Carbon-Neutral Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea; School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Abstract
Aiming toward the rectification of fiber grade PET waste accumulation as well as recycling and providing a technically viable route leading to preservation of the natural resources and environment, the post consumed polyester clothes were chemically recycled. Post consumed polyester clothes were recycled into bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) monomer in the presence of ethylene glycol as depolymerising agent and zinc acetate as catalyst. Depolymerized product was characterized by chemical as well as analytical techniques. The fiber grade PET was eventually converted into BHET monomer with nearly 90% yield by employing 1% catalyst concentration and at optimum temperature of 180°C without mechanical input of stirring condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit A Barot
- Industrial Chemistry Department, V.P. & R.P.T.P. Science College, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388120, Gujarat, India
| | - Vijay Kumar Sinha
- Industrial Chemistry Department, V.P. & R.P.T.P. Science College, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388120, Gujarat, India.
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