Operating conditions, products and sustainable recycling routes of aminolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – a review

Chemical recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) has gotten great attention today. Aminolysis, one of the chemical recycling methods, is the degradation of polyesters using primary amines that attack its functional group. It is not much explored as a commercial recycling technique among the chemical recycling methods. This review aims to explain the aminolysis method of PET degradation in terms of reaction operating conditions such as PET to solvent ratio, temperature, degradation time, and catalyst dosage. The primary product of aminolysis of PET is also discussed and their most common application in the preparation of secondary products is presented. Thus, PET-derived primary products can be used to synthesize polymers such as polyurethane and develop enhanced products like paints and coatings. Additionally, nonconventional procedures of PET aminolysis techniques: such as microwave radiation, ultrasound, UV radiation, and sunlight were assessed by comparison.