Closed-Loop Chemical Recycling of Poly(butylene succinate) Using Organocatalysts

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Organic Catalysis
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Plastic waste poses significant environmental and health risks.
• Developing efficient chemical recycling methods for polymers is crucial.
• Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) is a widely used polyester with recycling challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient organocatalytic depolymerization strategy for poly(butylene succinate) (PBS).
• To achieve closed-loop chemical recycling of PBS into high-quality polymer.
• To establish a sustainable and eco-friendly pathway for polyester recycling.

Main Methods:

• Organocatalytic methanolysis of PBS using TBD as a catalyst.
• Gas Chromatography (GC) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) for product analysis.
• Repolymerization of recovered monomers to regenerate PBS.

Main Results:

• Achieved 93.1% yield of depolymerization products under mild conditions (100 °C, 2 h).
• Identified dimethyl succinate (DMS) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) as major products.
• Successfully reproduced PBS with properties comparable to virgin PBS via closed-loop recycling.

Conclusions:

• The TBD-catalyzed methanolysis provides an efficient route for PBS depolymerization.
• The developed strategy enables sustainable, closed-loop chemical recycling of PBS.
• This organocatalytic approach shows potential for recycling other polyester systems.