Patent ID: 11920005
Assignee: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B  Y | IPC B  C

Claim 0:
1. An environmentally friendly method for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), comprising:
pre-loading a supercritical high temperature reactor with a weight ratio of a polyethylene terephthalate and a deionized (DI) water in excess of 1:10;
injecting CO2 into the supercritical high temperature reactor at an injection pressure in excess of 500 psi;
sealing the weight ratio of the polyethylene terephthalate and the deionized water and the CO2 within the supercritical high temperature reactor;
setting a reaction temperature of the supercritical high temperature reactor with a controller, wherein the reaction temperature is in excess of 160° C.;
heating the weight ratio of the polyethylene terephthalate and the deionized water and the CO2 within the supercritical high temperature reactor to the reaction temperature; and
reacting the weight ratio of the polyethylene terephthalate and the deionized water and the CO2 within the reactor for a reaction duration in excess of 0.25 hrs.