Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Final thesis DASH.pdf (6.27 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Process for Making PET from Bio Based Monomers

Salazar Hernandez, Damian A
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5081-2512
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1449862726

Abstract Details

2015, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, Chemical Engineering.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a semicrystalline polymer widely used for production of fibers, films and containers. The polymer is obtained from the reaction of ethylene glycol (EG) and terephthalic acid (PTA) in a two stage process involving esterification and polycondensation reactions. Historically, the raw materials have been obtained from petro sources through refining of oil. To alleviate the dependence on fossil energy resources, researchers have synthesized EG and PTA starting from biomass. The use of these bio monomers depends on their suitability to polymerization requirements and the quality of the polymer that can be produced. In this research, PET was synthesized using both monomers obtained from a bio based source. Bio EG was obtained with a high purity and was used as received. Bio PTA was produced through a modified Amoco process using bio p-xylene separated through distillation and crystallization methods from a sample containing furans, aromatics and alkanes. The analysis of the separation methods revealed that the side products present in the bio p-xylene sample do not have equilibrium limitations that prevent their removal through physical separation methods. Bio p-xylene was obtained with purity enough to be considered a high grade product (~99.8%), Low concentration impurities in the form of alkanes and a furan molecule were still present in the product. The analysis of the production of PTA revealed that the furan impurity present in bio p-xylene did not oxidize under Amoco process conditions, the furan was recovered from the reaction media in the oxidation liqueur. When compared to the use of petro p-xylene, the PTA produced had similar characteristics evaluated through color measurements, optical density and product purity. Both materials were produced with concentration of monofunctional groups low enough for their use in the polymerization reaction. In order to disclose the effect on polymerization of using bio derived monomers, the analyses of product composition, thermal stability, crystallization behavior and physical properties were done. It was found that when the purity of the bio derived monomers is comparable to that of a petro product a polymer with similar characteristics was obtained. Based on the characteristics of the polymers produced, there was no assignable difference to the use of either set of raw materials.
Saleh Jabarin, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Maria Coleman, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Joseph Lawrence, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Isabel Escobar, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Sridhar Viamajala, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
379 p.
Chemical Engineering; Polymer Chemistry; Polymers
bio derived polymers; bio based monomers; PET; polyethylene terephthalate; bio ethylene glycol; bio terephthalic acid

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Salazar Hernandez, D. A. (2015). Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Process for Making PET from Bio Based Monomers [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1449862726

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Salazar Hernandez, Damian. Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Process for Making PET from Bio Based Monomers. 2015. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1449862726.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Salazar Hernandez, Damian. "Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Process for Making PET from Bio Based Monomers." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1449862726

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1449862726
6,184
© 2015, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Process for Making PET from Bio Based Monomers by Damian A Salazar Hernandez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.