Aminolysis of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Wastes Based on Sunlight and Utilization of the End Product [Bis(2-hydroxyethylene) Terephthalamide] as an Ingredient in the Anticorrosive Paints for the Protection of Steel Structures

The increasing demand for poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymer, the simultaneous shortage in landfill disposal spaces, and known problems associated with PET waste specifically (e. g., its nonbiodegradability and huge accumulation) are challenges with which mankind must cope nowadays. In this study, PET postconsumer bottle wastes were cut to very small slides and then subjected to an aminolysis process with ethanol amine as a degradative agent in the presence of one catalyst from three used in this study. These catalysts were dibutyl tin oxide, sodium acetate, and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide. The reaction was performed in sunlight: a beneficial, clean, cheap, and renewable source of energy. The end product, which was a white precipitate of bis(2-hydroxyethylene) terephthalamide, was subjected to spectrophotometric and thermal analyses. The product was characterized to asses its suitability for use in pigments in anticorrosive paint formulations. In general, this process was a green, environmentally friendly degradation based on the utilization of solar energy for the aminolysis reaction using simple, cheap, available chemicals as catalysts. The originality of this study was derived from the use of waste materials to yield a product with beneficial applications in the field of corrosion inhibition. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 2842-2855, 2011