Rapid determination of terephthalic acid in the hydrothermal decomposition product of poly(ethylene terephthalate) by thermochemolysis-gas chromatography in the presence of tetramethylammonium acetate.

Thermochemolysis-gas chromatography in the presence of tetramethylammonium acetate was applied to the direct determination of terephthalic acid (TPA) contained in solid decomposition products obtained from the hydrothermal recycling process of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). On the chromatograms of the hydrothermal decomposition products of PET, a sharp peak of the TPA component was clearly observed as its corresponding dimethyl ester formed through the thermochemolysis reaction. Based on the peak intensities, the contents of TPA in the decomposition products were determined precisely and rapidly without using any cumbersome sample pretreatments.