Synthesis
A 250 mL round-bottomed three-necked flask equipped with an electromagnetic stirrer, thermometer, and reflux condenser was charged with 5 g of PET and a quantity of EG and catalyst. The glycolysis reaction was carried out at 160-196C in a nitrogen atmosphere. At the end of the reaction, boiling water was added to the round bottom flask and the mixture was separated into solid and liquid phases by filtration. The solid product contained unpolymerized PET, insoluble oligomers and solid catalyst and was extracted with boiling water; the water was mixed with the liquid fraction. White crystalline bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate was obtained by cooling from the filtrate.
