Synthesis and characterization of bis-amino ethyl terephthalamide from PET waste and its applications as hardener in DGEBA

The degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste through aminolysis by using ethylenediamine (EDA) was investigated at ambient temperature and pressure. After five days, the complete degradation of PET waste was achieved. The aminolysed end product so obtained was characterized with the help of various conventional techniques such as chemical tests, amine value, elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques namely FT-IR and NMR. The thermal stability of aminolysed end product was also studied with the help of Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The end product characterized as bis-amino ethyl terephthalamide (BAETP) was used as curing agent in epoxy resin (DGEBA). The curing kinetics of BAETP monomer with epoxy resin was evaluated with the help of DSC by isothermal method. The curing kinetics shows lower energy of activation of 10.65 kJ/mol at high temperature. The optimum curing of epoxy resin heating with BAETP (26.88 %) can be obtained in 28 min at 150 °C.