Polyethylene terephthalate sustainability

Initial G values for polyethylene terephthalate exposed in vacuo to y-rays at a dose rate of 10 2 Mrad per minute are -COOH = 0.8, CO = 0.17, CO — 0.11, H2 = 0.015, and CHh = 0.003. These values decrease with increased dose except for C02, which is roughly sustained up to 5000 Mrad. With an increase of dose rate G(—COOH) decreases, and the fall in the limiting viscosity number of the polymer is less. This dependence on dose rate is explained by a chain reaction involving the free radical (I) which was identified by ESR spectroscopy. Call /(—CO—O—CH—CH2—O—CO... 

Ethanol is one of the oldest biotechnological products used by humans, even ancient Egyptians were drinking a sort of beer obtained by aleoholic fermentation. More reeently ethanol was involved in first- and then second-generation biofuels. The overall sustainability and economie viability of these approaches remain doubtful. However, the production of bio-ethanol in important amounts led to its eonsideration for bio-based plastics production. Thus, the dehydration of ethanol was extensively studied and improved to produce ethylene, while the further polymerization to polyethylene (PE) and utilization are well known in the plastic industty. Furthermore, bio-ethanol was also used for the production of partially bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET). ... 

The ability to recycle nonwoven materials is seen as a significant means of increasing product sustainability by reducing the volume of nonwovens going to landfill or incineration. Polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), common materials in the production of nonwovens, are easily processed through municipal recycling and sorting streams, and sorted material can be redirected to the production of new products. 

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