Process for making polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

US8138233B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Sabic Innovative Plastics B.V. · NL

Inventors

• Parminder Agarwal · Evansville, US
• Kristen Cohoon-Brister · Lutz, US
• Sandeep Dhawan · Evansville, US
• Robert R. Gallucci · Greenwood, US
• Ganesh Kannan · Saginaw, US
• Kenneth F. Miller · Mount Vernon, US
• Dhaval Shah · Evansville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 4, 2011
• Grant date: Mar 20, 2012
• Expiry date: Feb 4, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02W30/62
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a two step process in which a 1,4-butane diol component reacts with a polyethylene terephthalate component under conditions that depolymerize the polyethylene terephthalate component into a molten mixture and the molten mixture is placed under subatmospheric conditions that produce the modified polybutylene terephthalate random copolymers. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a three step process in which a diol component selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and combinations thereof reacts with a polyethylene terephthalate component under conditions sufficient to depolymerize the polyethylene terephthalate component into a first molten mixture; and where the first molten mixture is combined with 1,4-butane diol under conditions that create a second molten mixture that is subsequently placed under subatmospheric conditions that produce the modified polybutylene terephthalate random copolymers. The invention also relates to compositions made from processes of the invention.