Question

Polyethylene terephthalate is prepared by a transesterification reaction.

(a) True

(b) False

This question was posed to me in a job interview.

My question is taken from Esterification Practice topic in division Esterification of Unit Processes

Answer 1

The statement is (a) True.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is typically prepared by a transesterification reaction. In this process, terephthalic acid (or its ester, dimethyl terephthalate) reacts with ethylene glycol to form the polymer PET, releasing methanol as a by-product.

This reaction is a key step in the synthesis of PET, a widely used thermoplastic polymer for applications such as bottles, containers, and textiles.