[SchruteFarms]

Hello, I'm looking for some advice as Google searches haven't yielded an answer yet. Can PETG be produced using recycled PET or should it be done  during the initial reaction when creation of PET happens? PETG is better for 3d printing than PET hence my interest in this matter. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[wildfyr]

It needs to be done in the initial production. PETG= polyethyleneterepthalate glycol-modified, a copolymer of cyclohexane dimethanol, ethyleneglycol, and dimethylterepthalate. PET is a the polymer of dimethylterephalate and ethylene glycol. There is actually a different set of bonds along the backbones of the two polymers. They may not even be miscible in one another.

If someone has deeper knowledge please step in, this is all pulled off of reading PET's wikipedia entry.

[SchruteFarms]

It needs to be done in the initial production. PETG= polyethyleneterepthalate glycol-modified, a copolymer of cyclohexane dimethanol, ethyleneglycol, and dimethylterepthalate. PET is a the polymer of dimethylterephalate and ethylene glycol. There is actually a different set of bonds along the backbones of the two polymers. They may not even be miscible in one another.

If someone has deeper knowledge please step in, this is all pulled off of reading PET's wikipedia entry.

Thank you, i suspected as much. Is there a reaction that will break up PET into its starting components?

[wildfyr]

Hydrolysis. heat + water + strong acid or base.

[SchruteFarms]

Hydrolysis. heat + water + strong acid or base.

Thank you very much wildfyr! This is exactly what i needed to find out. I have also fount this paper on PET hydrolysis, perhaps it will be of interest to someone in the future.

http://dl.uctm.edu/journal/node/j2010-4/2_Spaseska_379-384.pdf

Thanks again.