PROCESS FOR DEPOLYMERIZING AND RECYCLING POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE, PET, BY HETEROGENEOUS CATALYSIS, WITH OR WITHOUT USING SOLVENTS.

摘要

The present invention consists in a process for degrading and recycling waste polyethylene terephthalate PET for the obtention, with a good performance of one of the monomers thereof, terephthalic acid TFA, wherein a clay is used as catalyst. The process of the present invention is carried out with or without solvents, under softer reaction conditions of atmospheric pressure, short reaction times and high performance percentages unlike similar processes for degrading PET. An affordable and environmentally friendly process has been obtained under the aforementioned conditions.