# US 10,767,025 B2 · PA/PET separation process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,025 B2 - Document ID: US10767025B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/774,557 - Filed: 2016-11-09 - Published: 2020-05-07 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-09 - Assignees: Ioniqa Techonolgies B.V. - Applicants: Ioniqa Technologies B.V. - Inventors: Susanne Van Berkum; Sonja Irene-Marie Reginalde Castillo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767025B2 ## CPC - C08J 11/08: using selective solvents for polymer components - B29B 17/02: Separating plastics from other materials - B29B 2017/0203: {Separating plastics from plastics} - B29B 2017/0224: {Screens, sieves} - B29K 2067/003: {PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate} - B29K 2077/00: Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material - C08J 2367/02: Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; (C08J2367/06 takes precedence) - C08J 2377/00: Characterised by the use of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain; Derivatives of such polymers - C08J 2377/02: Polyamides derived from omega-amino carboxylic acids or from lactams thereof (C08J2377/10 takes precedence) - Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract The present invention is in the field of an improved separation process for mixed polymers, typically provided in a waste stream, comprising a polyamide (PA) and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The process comprises providing a composition having a density of 50-500 gr/dm3, adding an alcohol to the composition heating the mixture to a temperature above 150° C., cooling by adding hot water, filtering with a first filter, filtering with a second filter to recover the polyamide, and recovering the polyester for further processing for depolymerization. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Process for separating a composition comprising polyamide, polyester and at least one further additive, comprising the steps of: providing the composition, the composition having a density of 50-500 gr/dm3, adding a branched or un-branched alcohol to the composition therewith forming a mixture, the alcohol having a boiling point above 150° C. (at 100 kPa), heating the mixture to a temperature above 150° C. under reflux until polyamide is dissolved, while the polyester remains unaffected, therewith forming a slurry; cooling the slurry; which cooling comprises diluting the slurry by addition of hot water with a temperature of at least 80° C., during which polyamide is precipitated to particles, the amount of water being effective to precipitate the polyamide; filtering the slurry over a first filter with a mesh larger than 0.2 μm therewith forming a filtrate and a residue, wherein the residue comprises the polyester and the filtrate comprises the polyamide particles, filtering the polyamide particles from the filtrate over a second filter to recover the polyamide, and recovering the polyester for further processing for depolymerization of the polyester. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein recovering the polyamide comprises the step of adding water to the precipitated polyamide particles to remove the alcohol from the polyamide particles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein the hot water is boiling water. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein the hot water is added in an amount of 10-200 wt. % relative to the alcohol, for instance 10-50% or 75-150 wt. %. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein the branched or unbranched alcohol comprises 0.02-25 wt % water. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alcohol is a polyol, chosen from ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerol. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polyester is polyethyleneterephthalate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein the additive is a Ca-containing mineral, such as CaO, Ca(OH)2, CaCO3, a talc comprising mineral, mica, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein the residue from the first filter is further processed by: closing an exit to the first filter; adding a carrier liquid to disperse the residue into a dispersion; adding a depolymerisation catalyst to the dispersion, depolymerising the polyester to obtain monomer and/or oligomer dissolved in the carrier liquid, and further separating the additive from the carrier liquid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the depolymerisation step occurs in a vessel comprising the first filter, and wherein the separation step is carried out by filtration through the first filter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) Process as claimed in claim 9, wherein prior to the depolymerisation step, the dispersion is transferred to a depolymerisation reactor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein use is made of equipment comprising at least two first filters in parallel, each with an entry and an exit, of which at least the entry can be opened or closed selectively for use of either one or the other or both filters for the filtration of the slurry. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Process according to claim 1, wherein the hot water is added as a mixture of the alcohol and water. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) Process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the alcohol is ethylene glycol. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Process according to claim 14, wherein a PTFE filter is used for the first filter.