Hoechst Celanese Corporation

Gary E Wilkins

Brad L Smith

A process for recovering glycols produced during recycling of polyester comprising the step of extracting aromatic contaminants from the glycols. Extracting the aromatic contaminants is accomplished by: providing a glycol rich stream from a process to recycle polyester. The glycol rich stream comprised glycols, water, and aromatic contaminants. A solvent is added to the glycol rich stream to form a mixture. The mixture is resolved to form a glycol rich component and an aromatic contaminant rich component. The glycols are recovered from the glycol rich component.

Recycling polyester and recovering glycols

A process for recovering dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) comprises the steps of: providing a dimethyl terephthalate stream including dimethyl terephthalate, glycols, and coordination compounds; acidifying the coordination compounds to disassociate the ligands from the metalions; separating the ligands from the metalions; separating the dimethyl terephthalate from the glycols; and recovering the dimethyl terephthalate. Additionally, the process may include the step of basifying the metalions to precipitate the metal; and recovering the metal.

Process for recovering dimethyl terephthalate

A process for recovering dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) is disclosed. The process includes the steps of: (a) providing a DMT stream, the DMT stream including DMT, catalyst, and ethylene glycol; (b) adding a solvent to the DMT stream, the solvent being immiscible with water and miscible with DMT; (c) adding water to the DMT stream; and (d) forming two phases, a first phase of the solvent and DMT, and a second phase of water, ethylene glycol, and catalyst.

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Wilmington, NC, United States of America

Gary E Wilkins