terephthalic acid
noun
tere·phthal·ic acid
ˌter-ə(f)-ˈtha-lik- 
: a p-dicarboxylic acid C8H6O4 that is obtained especially by oxidation of xylene and is used chiefly in the synthesis of polyesters
Examples of terephthalic acid in a Sentence
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The researchers also note that roughly 90% of the product made from reacting broken down PET (terephthalic acid) with E. coli was paracetamol – making this a highly efficient and sustainable method of producing the painkiller.
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Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 29 June 2025
In something akin to a pressure cooker, the startup uses solvents, heat, and water whose pH has been raised to quickly liquify the polyester and break it into monomers—its basic components—of terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene glycol (EG).
—Ian Mount, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2022
The new material was durable and wrinkle resistant and easily made by combining ethylene glycol (the main ingredient in antifreeze) with terephthalic acid and then melting them together.
—Harris Quinn, Wired, 28 Dec. 2021
Circ uses a process called thermal hydrolysis that uses heat and pressure to break down polyester molecules into their original ingredients, ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid—a process known as depolymerization.
—Harris Quinn, Wired, 28 Dec. 2021
The organism produced two enzymes that together enabled it to feed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by breaking it into its building blocks, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.
—Warren Cornwall, Science | AAAS, 1 July 2021
Previous studies found enzymes could break down plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into terephthalic acid (TA).
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2021
In Kevlar, the chains of molecules—the long strings of terephthalic acid and other chemical compounds—line up parallel, like soldiers in a military parade.
—Kenneth R. Rosen, Wired, 6 Apr. 2020
The researchers behind its discovery showed that the enzyme degrades PET into mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid (MHET).
—The Economist, 16 Apr. 2018
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Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 29 June 2025
In something akin to a pressure cooker, the startup uses solvents, heat, and water whose pH has been raised to quickly liquify the polyester and break it into monomers—its basic components—of terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene glycol (EG).
—Ian Mount, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2022
The new material was durable and wrinkle resistant and easily made by combining ethylene glycol (the main ingredient in antifreeze) with terephthalic acid and then melting them together.
—Harris Quinn, Wired, 28 Dec. 2021
Circ uses a process called thermal hydrolysis that uses heat and pressure to break down polyester molecules into their original ingredients, ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid—a process known as depolymerization.
—Harris Quinn, Wired, 28 Dec. 2021
The organism produced two enzymes that together enabled it to feed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by breaking it into its building blocks, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.
—Warren Cornwall, Science | AAAS, 1 July 2021
Previous studies found enzymes could break down plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into terephthalic acid (TA).
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2021
In Kevlar, the chains of molecules—the long strings of terephthalic acid and other chemical compounds—line up parallel, like soldiers in a military parade.
—Kenneth R. Rosen, Wired, 6 Apr. 2020
The researchers behind its discovery showed that the enzyme degrades PET into mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid (MHET).
—The Economist, 16 Apr. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Terephthalic acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terephthalic%20acid. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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