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In the last few years, a very wide range of oligocarbonate diols, oligomers of carbonic acid esters terminated on both sides with hydroxyl groups, have appeared on the chemical market. They are mainly used for the production of flexible segments in precious grades of polyurethanes used in biomedical engineering. Poly(carbonate-urethane) due to high resistance to oxidizing and hydrolytic agents is also an attractive material for the production of adhesives and coatings with increased resistance to weather conditions. This paper presents the current state of knowledge on the methods of synthesis and main producers of oligomerols with carbonate groups, methods of poly(carbonate-urethane) synthesis and examples of its commercial applications.

In the presented paper, two basic strategies that can be used in the processes of chemical recycling of polyester material were described. The first of them involves increasing the molar mass of recycled materials in the solid-state polycondensation (SSP) process and/or joining their chains with various types of substances easily reacting with the end groups of polyesters (so-called extending agents). The essence of the second strategy is the degradation of the material under the influence of various protogenic agents (such as water, alcohols, glycols and amines) to obtain low-molecular products or oligomers that can be used as raw materials in the synthesis of many classes of polymers. The methods that are already used in PET [poly(ethylene terephthalate)] recycling and the possibility of their extension to other types of polyesters are both shown.