Abstract Terephthalic acid was recycled from waster PET beverage bottles using ethylene glycol as the solvent and reactant. The recycled products were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In this experiment, undergraduates acquired variable basic experimental skills such as heating reflux, vacuum distillation and vacuum filtration, and were familiar with analysis and characterization methods. Thus, students' concepts of green chemistry and environmental protection were formed during the experiment.
