Advanced recycled polyester based on PET and oleic acid

“Eco-friendly/green” materials, as alternatives for the normal petrochemicals, have become challenged target to diminish the global greenhouse emission and energy consumption. For this issue, the main goal of the paper is exploiting polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste of drinking-water bottles and natural oleic acid to establish novel “eco-friendly” cheap recycled unsaturated polyester (Rec-UPE) for the first time. This was firstly performed by glycolysis PET with diethylene glycol; after the glycolysis, esterification process took place with oleic acid. The characterization sentence approved successful preparation of Rec-UPE with more amorphous segments, as noticed from its characteristic FTIR and XRD peaks. Also, photos of SEM support the morphological changing to smoother surface. The thermal behavior was investigated via TGA/DSC thermographs; they assured the conversion of simicrystalline PET to more amorphous Rec-UPE with some enhanced thermal stability. The generated polyester exhibited similar curing reactivity regarding gel-to-peak time, curing temperature and viscosity compared with commercial one, but with more gelling time that provides easier processing. Rec-UPE achieved enhanced hardness by 14.6% compared with PET, this due to formation of rigid 3-D crosslinked polyester-styrene system. With the best-obtained results of the “green” Rec-UPE, it can be utilized with all applications of the commercial polyester, however, as improved, cheap and recycled type that can share with global trails for minimizing and recycling the petrochemicals waste. [Display omitted]