In a polymer recycling plant, polymer “X” was depolymerized by glycolysis in the presence of ethylene glycol and a suitable catalyst. The glycolysis reaction yielded the following compound:
Identify the polymer “X” from the following options.
In a polymer recycling plant, polymer “X” was depolymerized by glycolysis in the presence of ethylene glycol and a suitable catalyst. The glycolysis reaction yielded the following compound:
Identify the polymer “X” from the following options.
Show Hint
- Poly(ethylene terephthalate)
- Polystyrene
- Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
- Poly(vinyl chloride)
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The compound shown in the question is an ester linkage, where the polymer “X” is depolymerized into its monomer units by glycolysis. The ester functional group in the structure is characteristic of polyesters, and the specific structure shown corresponds to the monomer units of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET).
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) is commonly depolymerized by glycolysis, where it reacts with ethylene glycol to break down into bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate, the repeating unit of PET. This process is widely used in recycling PET plastics.
Let's analyze the other options:
- Polystyrene is a polymer made from styrene monomers, which do not contain ester linkages, making it an unlikely candidate for glycolysis depolymerization.
- Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a copolymer, which also does not feature ester linkages and is not typically recycled through glycolysis.
- Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is a polymer with chlorine atoms in its backbone, and it is not depolymerized by glycolysis.
Therefore, the correct polymer “X” that undergoes glycolysis to yield the given compound is Poly(ethylene terephthalate), which is option (A).
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