Q. With reference to polyethylene terephthalate, the use of which is so widespread in our daily lives, consider the following statements:
1. Its fibres can be blended with wool and cotton fibres to reinforce their properties.
2. Containers made of it can be used to store any alcoholic beverage.
3. Bottles made of it can be recycled into other products.
4. Articles made of it can be easily disposed of by incineration without causing greenhouse gas emissions.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Exp) Option a is the correct answer.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) is a strong, stiff synthetic fibre and resin and a member of the polyester family of polymers. PET is spun into fibres for permanent-press fabrics and blow-molded into disposable beverage bottles.
Statement 1 is correct: PET fibres make them highly resistant to deformation, so they impart excellent resistance to wrinkling in fabrics. They are often used in durable-press blends with other fibres such as rayon, wool, and cotton, reinforcing the inherent properties of those fibres while contributing to the ability of the fabric to recover from wrinkling.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Maharashtra government has announced the ban on sale of alcohol in PET bottles from April 1. Plastic packaging is dangerous to human health and the country liquor and country made foreign liquor cannot be sold in such bottles. PET has become widely used in carbonated-beverage bottles and in jars for food processed at low temperatures. The low softening temperature of PET—approximately 70 °C (160 °F)—prevents it from being used as a container for hot foods.
Statement 3 is correct: Polyethylene terephthalate is the most widely recycled plastic. For instance, PET bottles and containers are commonly melted down and spun into fibres for fibrefill or carpets.
Statement 4 is incorrect: Polyethylene, like other plastics, is not inert and is known to release additives and other degradation products into the environment throughout its lifetime. For example, the additive bisphenol-A used in the manufacture of many plastic products is leached as plastics age, and hydrocarbon gases are produced during high-temperature decomposition (>202°C).
Source:
https://www.britannica.com/science/polyethylene-terephthalate
