Co-recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polylactic Acid by WO₃-loaded S1 Zeolite

Abstract

Chemical recycling of single-component plastic wastes is regarded as an important way to save waste carbon resources. However, the real plastic wastes are multi-component composition, which combine with various plastics, and the chemical recycling of mixed polyesters often faces significant challenges because of complex functional groups and harsh acidic environment. In this work, we combined WO₃ with zeolite and synthesized 5W/S1 to address this challenge. The 5W/S1 shows excellent catalytic ability, which can convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polylactic acid (PLA) to terephthalic acid (TPA), ethylene glycol (EG), and lactic acid (LA) with high yields and keep activity after use. From the results, there is a synergistic effect that occurs during the reaction, which is induced by polylactic acid and 5W/S1; they are synergistic in activating the ester groups to promote the conversion of PET. This work can provide a novel insight into the development of stable catalysts for recycling mixed plastics.

Keywords

Co-recycling / Mixed plastic / Hydrolysis / Synergistic activating

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