Patent ID: 7884230

Claim:
A continuous process for the chemical treatment of polyethylene terephthalate in the form of flakes granules or scraps to recover terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol which comprises melting the polyethylene terephthalate at a temperature of 220 to 280° C. to form a molten liquid, increasing the temperature of the molten, liquid polyethylene terephthalate to a temperature of 300 to 450° C. at ambient pressure, and depolymerizing the molten liquid polyethylene terephthalate by introducing water to the molten, liquid polyethylene terephthalate, said water being converted to overheated steam, the overheated steam expanding to provide an intimate mixture thereof with the molten polyethylene terephthalate, thereby hydrolyzing the molten polyethylene terephthalate with simultaneous sublimation, whereby terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol are separated from unreacted molten liquid polyethylene terephthalate.