Effects of metal oxides on the pyrolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

✍ Scribed by Toshiaki Yoshioka; Tomohiko Handa; Guido Grause; Zhigang Lei; Hiroshi Inomata; Tadaaki Mizoguchi

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 155 KB
• Volume: 73
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0165-2370
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2005.01.004

✦ Synopsis

Metal oxides as Ca(OH) 2 , NiO, Fe 2 O 3 or TiO 2 showed different effects on the pyrolysis of PET. The experiments were carried out at 700 8C in a helium atmosphere using a laboratory equipment. Ca(OH) 2 led to the hydrolysis of the PET and the following decarboxylation of the resulting terephthalic acid to benzene in a high amount up to 31 wt.%. By this means a yield of 77% related to the terephthalic acid content in the PET. The addition of Fe 2 O 3 led to a similar but weaker effect. Nickel oxide showed less influence on the pyrolysis products of PET. With titanium dioxide considerably less gaseous products were obtained. When a mixture of Ca(OH) 2 and NiO was used PET was converted to synthesis-gas with a high hydrogen and carbon monoxide content and a gas amount of about 70%. The experiments with mixtures of Fe 2 O 3 or TiO 2 with Ca(OH) 2 showed little differences to the experiments with pure Ca(OH) 2 .