https://doi.org/10.65770/EUKD2666
ABSTRACT
The research studies the efficacy of alkaline hydrolysis of waste PET bottles to produce terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. The process was carried out at a reaction temperature of (80-100)0C, PET weight of (30-50) grams and reaction time of (30-90) minutes, involving depolymerization of PET bottles (using a mixture of ethanol, NaOH and de-ionized water), cooling, vacuum filtration, acidification and final filtration. The results revealed that the volume of terephthalic acid (TPA) weight and ethylene glycol produced attained climax at higher temperature showing that temperature and time are vital elements in recycling PET using chemical techniques (around temperature of 90-1000C). Further analysis carried out for the determination of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol using FTIR spectroscopy shows clear evidence supporting the molecular structure of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, particularly through the identification of characteristic functional groups such as hydroxyl (O-H) and carbon-oxygen (C-O) bonds. As well as the demonstration of the vital role of FTIR spectroscopy in evaluating the molecular structure of organic compounds. The study therefore recommended that future research should incorporate the use of HPLC where available for a more enhanced quantitative analysis to ascertain the purity and yield.
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