A METHOD OF SYNTHESIZING NATURAL FIBRE REINFORCED POLYESTER COMPOSITES FROM RECYCLED POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) AND THE PRODUCT SYNTHESIZED THEREOF

摘要

A METHOD OF SYNTHESIZING NATURAL FIBRE REINFORCED POLYESTER COMPOSITES FROM NATURAL FIBRE AND POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) WASTE, COMPRISING: A) HEATING SAID WASTE POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) WITH A GLYCOL IN THE PRESENCE OF A GLYCOLYSIS CATALYST TO PRODUCE A GLYCOLYSED PRODUCT CONSISTING OF BIS(HYDROXYETHYL)TEREPHTHALATE (BHET) MONOMERS AND OTHER LOWER OLIGOMERS; B) POLYESTERIFYING SAID GLYCOLYSED PRODUCT WITH UNSATURATED POLYBASIC ACIDS OR ACID ANHYDRIDES THEREOF INTO SAID MIXTURE TO OBTAIN AN UNSATURATED POLYESTER RESIN (UPR); C) DISSOLVING SAID UNSATURATED POLYESTER RESIN (UPR) IN A STYRENE; AND D) REINFORCING SAID UNSATURATED POLYESTER RESIN (UPR) WITH NATURAL FIBRES DERIVE FROM PLANT ORIGIN TO OBTAIN SAID NATURAL FIBRE-POLYESTER COMPOSITES.