In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a method for functionalizing hydrocarbons. In a further aspect, the method involves heating a hydrocarbon with a composition having an acid and an oxidant. In other aspects, the composition can further include an iodine-based compound and/or a compound having formula A.sub.aX.sub.n. In any of these aspects, the oxidant can be regenerated in situ or in a separate regeneration step. Also disclosed are functionalized hydrocarbons produced by the disclosed method. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

The invention relates to a method for degradation of plastic materials into terephthalic acid (TPA) and/or ethylene glycol and/or other monomers that form the plastic materials.

The invention relates to a method for degradation of plastic materials into terephthalic acid (TPA) and/or ethylene glycol and/or other monomers that form the plastic materials.

A continuous flow process and system for depolymerizing plastic. A heterogeneous mixture of solid plastic particles, a solvent, and a catalyst are pumped continuously through a heating zone at a flow rate resulting in a particle speed sufficient to keep the plastic particles in suspension. The heterogeneous mixture is heated in the heating zone and maintained in a hold zone to complete depolymerization of the mixture into a homogeneous solution containing a liquefied reaction product. The homogeneous solution is cooled to solidify and precipitate a solid reaction product. The solid reaction product is separated from the solvent to be recycled. Contaminants are removed from the solvent, and the solvent is recirculated for use as a constituent of the heterogeneous mixture.

A continuous flow process and system for depolymerizing plastic. A heterogeneous mixture of solid plastic particles, a solvent, and a catalyst are pumped continuously through a heating zone at a flow rate resulting in a particle speed sufficient to keep the plastic particles in suspension. The heterogeneous mixture is heated in the heating zone and maintained in a hold zone to complete depolymerization of the mixture into a homogeneous solution containing a liquefied reaction product. The homogeneous solution is cooled to solidify and precipitate a solid reaction product. The solid reaction product is separated from the solvent to be recycled. Contaminants are removed from the solvent, and the solvent is recirculated for use as a constituent of the heterogeneous mixture.

A method for preparing the borate ester using a lithium compound includes: under the inert gas, stirring and mixing carboxylic acid and borane, and a catalyst lithium compound is added, then the borate ester is obtained with hydroboration; wherein the hydroboration is at room temperature for 10 to 80 min. After the hydroboration and is stopped by contacting air, the solvent is removed under reduced pressure, to obtain the borate esters with different substituents. The lithium compounds are n-butyl lithium, lithium aniline, p-methyl lithium aniline, o-methyl lithium aniline, 2-methoxyaniline lithium, 4-methoxyaniline lithium, 2,6-dimethylaniline lithium, and 2,6-diisopropylaniline lithium. The lithium compounds disclosed in the present invention can catalyze the boron hydrogenation reaction of carboxylic acid and borane with high activity under room temperature conditions; the amount of lithium compound is 0.1-0.9% of the molar amount of carboxylic acid.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a boric acid ester using non-catalyzed hydroboration of a carboxylic acid. The method includes: in an inert gas atmosphere, mixing pinacolborane and a carboxylic acid and stirring until uniform in a reaction flask subjected to dehydration and deoxygenation treatments, reacting for 6-12 hours to obtain the boric acid ester, then adding silica gel and methanol, and conducting a hydrolysis reaction to prepare an alcohol compound. The carboxylic acid is acetic acid, caproic acid, pentanoic acid, heptanoic acid, trimethylacetic acid, adipic acid, benzoic acid, 4-bromobenzoic acid, 4-fluorobenzoic acid, 1-naphthoic acid, 2-methoxybenzoic acid, 4-tert-butylbenzoic acid, 4-ethoxybenzoic acid, 2-bromobenzoic acid, 4-iodobenzoic acid, 3-phenylpropionic acid, diphenyl acetic acid, 2-phenylbutyric acid, indole-3-acetic acid, o-carboxyl phenylacetic acid or 2-methyl-5-bromobenzoic acid. The present invention utilizes a carboxylic acid to efficiently undergo hydroboration with borane without a catalyst for the first time.

A process for purifying polyester-grade ethylene glycol from crude ethylene glycol containing at least a first component and a second component that have a boiling point below that of ethylene glycol that includes (a) providing a stream of crude ethylene glycol by depolymerizing polyethylene terephthalate in a chemical recycling process; (b) introducing the crude ethylene glycol stream into a first distillation column for distilling the first component and removing the first component from the process; (c) withdrawing a first stream from the lower portion of the first distillation column and feeding the first stream into a second distillation column for distilling the second component and removing the second component from the process; (d) withdrawing a second stream from the lower portion of the second distillation column and feeding the second stream into a third distillation column; and (e) recovering polyester-grade ethylene glycol from the third distillation column.

A process for purifying polyester-grade ethylene glycol from crude ethylene glycol containing at least a first component and a second component that have a boiling point below that of ethylene glycol that includes (a) providing a stream of crude ethylene glycol by depolymerizing polyethylene terephthalate in a chemical recycling process; (b) introducing the crude ethylene glycol stream into a first distillation column for distilling the first component and removing the first component from the process; (c) withdrawing a first stream from the lower portion of the first distillation column and feeding the first stream into a second distillation column for distilling the second component and removing the second component from the process; (d) withdrawing a second stream from the lower portion of the second distillation column and feeding the second stream into a third distillation column; and (e) recovering polyester-grade ethylene glycol from the third distillation column.

A continuous flow process and system for depolymerizing plastic. A heterogeneous mixture of solid plastic particles, a solvent, and a catalyst are pumped continuously through a heating zone at a flow rate resulting in a particle speed sufficient to keep the plastic particles in suspension. The heterogeneous mixture is heated in the heating zone and maintained in a hold zone to complete depolymerization of the mixture into a homogeneous solution containing a liquefied reaction product. The homogeneous solution is cooled to solidify and precipitate a solid reaction product. The solid reaction product is separated from the solvent to be recycled. Contaminants are removed from the solvent, and the solvent is recirculated for use as a constituent of the heterogeneous mixture.