온화한 조건($80{sim}110^{circ}C$, 대기압)하에서 비누화반응에 의해 폐 PBT의 입자를 해중합하여다. PBT의 해중합은 KOH 보다 NaOH가 보다 효과적이었으며, 반응온도가 증가하고 입자의 크기가 작을수록 해중합은 증가하였다. 해중합속도는 표면반응이 율속단계로서 PBT 입자표면에 생성물이 형성되지 않은 미반응핵 모델에 의해 표현할수 있었다. 겉보기활성화에너지는 98.1KJ/mol 이었으며, 85.1, $105{mu}m$인 PBT 입자를 6시간 동안 해중합하였을때 TPA의 회수율은 약 95%정도였다.
Waste PBT powder was depolymerized by saponification under the mild temperature conditions($80{sim}110^{circ}C$) and atmospheric pressure. In depolymerization of PBT, sodium hydroxide was more effective than potassium hydroxide. The depolymerization increased with increasing reaction temperature and decreasing particle size. The reaction kinetics of depolymerization could be expressed by the shrinking unreacted core model without product layer, in which the surface reaction was a rate determining step. The activation energy was 98.1 KJ/mol. The recovery ratio of the TPA obtained from the depolymerized PBT particles of 85.1 and $105{mu}m$ for 6 hours was about 95%.
