Technology Roadmap: perspectiva de inovação e avanços nas tecnologias de reciclagem do Politereftalato de Etileno

Abstract

Polymers can be found in everyday life in packaging, clothing, electrical and electronic devices, and a variety of industrial applications. However, disposal of these products is particularly difficult and, if done incorrectly, can result in serious environmental problems. Instead of simply discarding these materials, research into their reprocessing has become more important. This means that there are new ways to reuse these materials in order to reintroduce them into the manufacturing cycle and improve on existing methods. Motivated by this theme, the goal of this study is to identify technological trends in polymer reprocessing, specifically Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). The technology roadmapping (TRM) methodology was chosen for this, as it is a versatile and widely used technique in the industry to support strategic and long-term planning. The approach provides a structured and often graphical means of exploring and communicating the evolving and developing relationships between markets, products, and technologies over time. Between January and April 2021, a specific search and analysis strategy for the worn-out PET was carried out in relevant databases, namely PatentInspiration and Scopus. A total of 431 documents were reviewed, but only those deemed pertinent to the study were examined: 175 scientific articles, 13 granted patents, and 28 requested patents. The information gathered was organized into an indicative map of technology over time and observed in the short, medium, and long term: (i) the search for technologies aligned with tertiary recycling to deal with worn-out PET; (ii) the preference for the use of “pure” PET, that is to say, without the presence of other polymers; and (iii) the focus of universities, companies and research institutes on technology, in other words, on optimizing the products formed, reducing expenses with utilities, and improving the performance of equipment already used. TRM enabled the mapping of the current state and prediction of trends in the reprocessing of worn-out PET in a simple and visually appealing manner, providing important data on the opportunities and challenges in this sector.