Issue 7, 2024

Recycling and depolymerisation of poly(ethylene terephthalate): a review

Abstract

The superior properties of plastic have led to its widespread use in people's clothing, food, housing and transportation. However, the large amount of accumulated plastic waste that cannot be deconstructed has a negative impact on the environment. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), since its introduction to the market in 1941, has been widely used in industry and households. Due to the relative activity of the ester group in the molecular chain, it provides unlimited potential for the degradability of PET. This article takes PET as an example, introduces the current common processes of PET recycling and depolymerisation, elaborates on the reaction mechanisms of various methods, and looks forward to the future development trend of solving the problem of PET pollution.

Graphical abstract: Recycling and depolymerisation of poly(ethylene terephthalate): a review

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
31 Here 2023
Accepted
23 Gen. 2024
First published
27 Gen. 2024

Polym. Chem., 2024,15, 585-608

Recycling and depolymerisation of poly(ethylene terephthalate): a review

M. Wang, Y. Li, L. Zheng, T. Hu, M. Yan and C. Wu, Polym. Chem., 2024, 15, 585 DOI: 10.1039/D3PY01218B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements