INDUSTRIAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING TEREPHTHALIC ACID FROM PULVERIZED PRODUCT OF RECOVERED POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the time required for industrially recovering terephthalic acid from a pulverized product of a recovered PET. SOLUTION: This method for recovering the terephthalic acid comprises a process of thermally degrading the pulverized product of the recovered polyethylene terephthalate in the presence of a solvent and an alkali into a terephthalate and ethylene glycol and a process of removing the solvent from the resultant thermal degradation slurry. When the terephthalic acid is recovered from the terephthalate, the solvent is evaporated from the thermal degradation slurry under atmospheric pressure or under a reduced pressure to afford the solid terephalate.