Converting Post Consumer Recycle PET Waste into PBT Based Engineering Thermoplastics for Automotive and Electrical Applications

摘要

4 billions pounds of PET bottle waste is generated in the US every year. Only 20 % of this material is recovered for recycling purposes. The rest of it is dumped into landfills across the country. GE has developed products (Valox iQ~* and Xenoy iQ~* resins) that are made from a PBT copolymer that is made by chemical regeneration of PET into the PBT copolymer which is used as a base resin to make molding compositions. These products can then be used in a variety of automotive and consumer applications. These innovative products' manufacturing processes require less energy and non-renewable fossil fuels as compared to the manufacturing processes of conventional fossil fuel based materials. Also, a substantial amount of CO2 emissions reduction can be achieved (in a cradle to grave type analysis) by practicing this technology. This paper will give insights into the proprietary Valox iQ~* and Xenoy iQ~* technology as well as the eco-impact of this technology.