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Joseph Portelli

What’s Holding your Water?:

A Technical Description of Polyethylene Terephthalate Bottles

Introduction:
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), or PETE is the main component of single use plastic
bottles. These bottles all follow a similar production process. Their malleability and low weight
are the reasons they are used in bottling the majority of water and soda sold in stores. They can
be distinguished on bottles by the numeral 1 inside, or next to, the universal symbol for
recyclable materials.

Production of PET:

PET is synthesized through the use


of polyethylene glycol and terephthalic acid.
A polyethylene terephthalate monomer is
then polymerized to create PET pellets
(Pang, 2016). These pellets are then heated
north of 600 degrees and injected into a steel
mold. This forms a tube looking premold as
shown in Figure 2. The premold, also
referred to as a Parison, can then be put into
the mold of the shape it needs to become.
Fig. 1 Various PET Bottles
The bottom of the parison is pinched closed
and blasted with pressurized air fitting the
plastic to the shape of the mold (Pang,
2016). This process of Stretch Blow
Molding is how bottles get their shapes and
is shown in Figure 3. After the bottle is
filled with whatever liquid it is made to
hold, the bottle is capped or sealed and is
now ready to be shipped.
Fig. 2 Parison premold

Fig. 3 Stretch Blow


Molding
Joseph Portelli

Problems with PET: Benefits:

The biggest concern with PET PET bottles are very easy to recycle
bottles is the acetaldehyde and antimony that compared to other plastics. The stability of
results from the degradation of PET. Both of the polymer also makes them relatively
these substances are known carcinogens, and unreactive with other chemicals that would
are capable of seeping into the liquid under be present in the product being shipped.
extreme heat for a prolonged period of time.
However, the amount present is still under A second benefit that comes from the
the limit set by the World Health plastic’s transparent nature is its use in
Organization (Mason, 2018). purifying water from bacteria. Since PET
allows for UV radiation to pass through its
surface, it is a very low-cost water purifier
for communities in developing countries.
This method of Solar Disinfection is highly
recommended by the World Health
Organization due to its ease of use. It may
not be able to eliminate chemical impurities,
but its ability to eliminate bacteria can
specifically combat cholera epidemics that
pose a problem to communities without a
sewage system (Strauss, 2016).

Fig. 4 Solar Disinfection Illustration

Conclusion:
Overall, PET bottles are near perfect for the single-use transportation of liquid they are
designed to do. However, they are a staple of the consumerist society that we are a part of and
contribute to the vast amount of waste we produce since it is impossible to completely recycle
the plastic. Hopefully, in the future we can move away from this.
Works Cited
Figure 1. Retrieved from https://www.exportersindia.com/indian-suppliers/pet-bottles.htm
Figure 2. Retrieved from https://www.suryapet.in/soda-bottle-preforms.htm
Figure 3. Retrieved from https://www.petallmfg.com/pet-stretch-blow-molding-machine-Lseries.php
Figure 4. Retrieved from http://www.befoundalive.com/articles/article/8433040/163331.htm
Mason, Sherri A., Welch, Victoria., Neratko, Joseph. (2018). Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Bottled Water.
State University of New York at Fredonia. Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/14_03_13_finalbottled.pdf
Pang, Jifeng., Zheng, Mingyuan., Sun, Ruiyan., Wang, Aigin.,Wang, Xiaodong., Zhang, Tao. (2015).
Synthesis of Ethylene Glycol and terephthalic acid from biomass for producing PET. Green Chemistry.
Retrieved from http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2016/gc/c5gc01771h
Strauss, A., Dobrowsky, P. H., Ndlovu, T., Reyneke, B., & Khan, W. (2016). Comparative analysis of solar
pasteurization versus solar disinfection for the treatment of harvested rainwater. BMC Microbiology,
16(1). Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.ccny-
proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A473456597/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=

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