Abstract

JUAN, Naranjo,; PAUL, Palmay,  and  KERLY, Jaramillo,. Use of a Regenerated Catalyst from Fluid Catalytic Cracking for the Poly- (Ethylene Terephthalate) Chemical Recycling via Glycolysis. Rev Politéc. (Quito) [online]. 2024, vol.53, n.1, pp.47-56. ISSN 2477-8990.  https://doi.org/10.33333/rp.vol53n1.05.

The high demand for plastic materials has been a post-Covid-19 trend due to the need for protective and packaging materials for sanitary and food products. However, this situation has exacerbated the environmental problem associated with plastic waste pollution, which has led to intensified efforts to find recycling alternatives in recent years. The final disposal of catalysts used in petrochemicals also represents a significant challenge, as they end up in landfills and are a major source of contamination due to their high heavy metal content. This study aims to evaluate the use of regenerated FCC catalysts from petrochemical processes in the depolymerization process of poly-(ethylene terephthalate) by glycolysis. The results showed that the regenerated catalyst had a significant performance compared to conventional catalysts such as zinc acetate and ZSM-5 zeolite in obtaining bis (hydroxyethyl terephthalate) (BHET), and the amount of catalyst did not significantly affect the depolymerization process. These results show a promising option for addressing the problem of plastic waste.

Keywords : Chemical recycling; poly-(ethylene terephthalate) (PET); glycolysis; depolymerization; catalyst regeneration.

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