Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) is used mainly to produce polyester resins, fibres and films. However, for most grades of polyester used in textiles and food and beverage containers, it is more economical to use purified terephthalic acid (PTA) rather than DMT.
Dimethyl terephthalate can be used in engineering resins, such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). For film applications, DMT can be preferred due to its good adhesion addition quality.
The most widely used technology to make DMT is based on paraxylene using oxidation and esterification steps. Esterification is carried out in the presence of methanol to form DMT.
Dimethyl terephthalate is in the form of colourless crystals that are insoluble in water but soluble in ether and hot ethyl alcohol. DMT is stable under normal temperatures and pressures but is can be a dust explosion hazard in powder or granular form.
Dimethyl terephthalate
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Dimethyl terephthalate
Uses and Outlook
Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) is used mainly to produce polyester resins, fibres and films as well as engineering polymers.
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Dimethyl terephthalate
Process Technologies
The traditional process to manufacture DMT utilises the esterification of terephthalic acid with methanol generated by catalytic homogeneous oxidation of paraxylene, developed partly because of the difficulty of purifying TPA produced by this process.
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