Recycling of polyethylene terephthalate wastes: A review of technologies, routes, and applications

• Published in: Polymer engineering and science Vol. 62; no. 8; pp. 2355 - 2375
• Main Authors: Suhaimi, Nur Aina Syafiqah, Muhamad, Farina, Abd Razak, Nasrul Anuar, Zeimaran, Ehsan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.2022; Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Biomedical materials; Chemical precipitation; chemical recycling; electrospinning; Extrusion; mechanical recycling; Nanofibers; Oceans; Polyethylene terephthalate; polymer blends; Recycling; recycling techniques; rPET fibers; Waste management; Wastes; Malaysia
• ISSN: 0032-3888; 1548-2634
• DOI: 10.1002/pen.26017

With increasing usage of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes polluting the oceans and environment, the recycling of PET wastes has become a crucial issue to be overcome. In this article, a review of the different technologies that have been developed to recycle PET wastes and common routes for recycled PET (rPET) is presented. The impacts of varied recycling technologies on the properties of rPET are also discussed herein. The review also focuses on the recovered products by each of the technology and their uses that have been reincorporated into new applications for example, from plastic bottle wastes to 3D scaffolds for biomedical application. Different recycling technologies such as reactive extrusion, chemical recycling and dissolution/precipitation exhibit specific properties due to the influence of the different concepts from one technology to another. A new trend called electrospinning of rPET to produce nanofibers has also garnered attention to be used for different applications. This article will first introduce the recycling technologies concept, and then the properties of the recovered product will be discussed and finally, we will focus on the applications of rPET produced from each of the technologies in various fields such as construction, textile, filtration, and biomedical applications. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is completely recyclable and among the most recycled plastic globally. Recycling of PET can be done through various ways including mechanical recycling such as reactive extrusion and also by chemical means which transforms the PET into its monomers or various valuable chemicals. Other recycling technologies include dissolution/precipitation as well as blending and compatibilization. Once PET has been recycled, it is known as recycled PET (rPET) and can be used in various applications such as construction and textile. Another route that is gaining massive attention for rPET is the fabrication of rPET fibrous membranes by electrospinning. These elctrospun rPET fibers provide more possibilities for engineered application of rPET such as air and water filtration purposes.