Towards understanding the breakdown and mechanisms of glass fiber reinforced polyester composites in sub-critical water using some of the most employed and efficient additives from literature

It was possible to explain the mechanisms producing the majority of the different reaction products identified by GC-MS. The monomer phthalic anhydride was only recovered in the experiments without additives and was most stable at 200-250 °C. The increase or decrease in the production of monomers and other reaction products at different temperatures with and without additives has been clarified by the GC-MS investigations, which introduces new possibilities for tailoring the production of monomers and various chemical compounds via hydrolysis of polymer composites.