Synthesis of high‐molecular‐weight aliphatic–aromatic copolyesters from poly(ethylene‐co‐1,6‐hexene terephthalate) and poly(L‐lactic acid) by chain extension

A series of aliphatic–aromatic multiblock copolyesters consisting of poly(ethylene‐co‐1,6‐hexene terephthalate) (PEHT) and poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) were synthesized successfully by chain‐extension reaction of dihydroxyl terminated PEHT‐OH prepolymer and dihydroxyl terminated PLLA‐OH prepolymer using toluene‐2,4‐diisoyanate as a chain extender. PEHT‐OH prepolymers were prepared by two step reactions using dimethyl terephthalate, ethylene glycol, and 1,6‐hexanediol as raw materials. PLLA‐OH prepolymers were prepared by direct polycondensation of L ‐lactic acid in the presence of 1,4‐butanediol. The chemical structures, the molecular weights and the thermal properties of PEHT‐OH, PLLA‐OH prepolymers, and PEHT‐PLLA copolymers were characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, GPC, TG, and DSC. This synthetic method has been proved to be very efficient for the synthesis of high‐molecular‐weight copolyesters (say, higher than M_w = 3 × 10⁵ g/mol). Only one glass transition temperature was found in the DSC curves of PEHT‐PLLA copolymers, indicating that the PLLA and PEHT segments had good miscibility. TG curves showed that all the copolyesters had good thermal stabilities. The resulting novel aromatic–aliphatic copolyesters are expected to find a potential application in the area of biodegradable polymer materials. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5898–5907, 2009     

Synthesis of new amphiphilic diblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(α‐olefin)

This article discusses an effective route to prepare amphiphilic diblock copolymers containing a poly(ethylene oxide) block and a polyolefin block that includes semicrystalline thermoplastics, such as polyethylene and syndiotactic polystyrene (s‐PS), and elastomers, such as poly(ethylene‐co‐1‐octene) and poly(ethylene‐co‐styrene) random copolymers. The broad choice of polyolefin blocks provides the amphiphilic copolymers with a wide range of thermal properties from high melting temperature ～270 °C to low glass‐transition temperature ～?60 °C. The chemistry involves two reaction steps, including the preparation of a borane group‐terminated polyolefin by the combination of a metallocene catalyst and a borane chain‐transfer agent as well as the interconversion of a borane terminal group to an anionic (? O^?K⁺) terminal group for the subsequent ring‐opening polymerization of ethylene oxide. The overall reaction process resembles a transformation from the metallocene polymerization of α‐olefins to the ring‐opening polymerization of ethylene oxide. The well‐defined reaction mechanisms in both steps provide the diblock copolymer with controlled molecular structure in terms of composition, molecular weight, moderate molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 2.5), and absence of homopolymer. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3416–3425, 2002     

Effect of the γ‐form crystal on the thermal fractionation of poly(propylene‐co‐ethylene)

The effect of the γ‐form crystal on the thermal fractionation of a commercial poly(propylene‐co‐ethylene) (PPE) has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) techniques. Two thermal fractionation techniques, stepwise isothermal crystallization (SIC) and successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA), have been used to characterize the molecular heterogeneity of the PPE. The results indicate that the SSA technique possesses a stronger fractionation ability than that of the SIC technique. The heating scan of the SSA fractionated sample exhibits 12 endothermic peaks, whereas the scan of the SIC fractionated sample only shows eight melting peaks. The WAXD observations of the fractionated PPE samples prove that the content of the γ‐form crystals formed during the thermal treatment of the SIC technique is much higher than that of the SSA treatment. The former is 57.4%, whereas the later is 12.6%. The effect of theγ‐form crystals on thermal fractionation ability is discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4320–4325, 2004     

Styrene‐ethylene co‐oligomerization with bis‐(diphenylphosphino)‐amine/chromium catalysts and the use of the co‐oligomerization products in copolymerization reactions with metallocenes

Ethylene‐styrene (or 4‐methylstyrene) co‐oligomerization using various bis(diphenylphoshino)amine ligands in combination with chromium is discussed. GC analysis of the reaction mixture shows that various phenyl‐hexene and phenyl‐octene isomers are formed either through cotrimerization or cotetramerization. It seems that the more bulky ligands display lower selectivity to co‐oligomerization and favor ethylene homo‐oligomerization. Subsequent copolymerization of the oligomerization reaction mixture using a metallocene polymerization catalyst results in a copolymer with a branched structure as indicated by Crystaf and ¹³C NMR analysis. Assignments of the ¹³C NMR spectrum are proposed from an APT NMR experiment combined with calculated NMR chemical shift data using additivity rules. An indication of the ability of the different co‐oligomerization products to copolymerize into the polyethylene chain could be established from these assignments. Unreacted styrene and the more bulky isomers, 3‐phenyl‐1‐hexene and 3‐phenyl‐1‐octene, are not readily incorporated while branches resulting from the other isomers present in the co‐oligomerization reaction mixture are detected in the NMR spectrum. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. JPolym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1488–1501, 2008     

The discovery and progress of MgCl2‐supported TiCl4 catalysts

Polyolefins represented by polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are indispensable materials in our daily lives. TiCl₃ catalysts, established by Ziegler and Natta in the 1950s, led to the births of the polyolefin industries. However, the activities and stereospecificities of the TiCl₃ catalysts were so low that steps for removing catalyst residues and low stereoregular PP were needed in the production of PE and PP. Our discovery of MgCl₂‐supported TiCl₄ catalysts led to more than 100 times higher activities and extremely high stereospecificities, which enabled us to dispense with the steps for the removals, meaning the process innovation. Furthermore, they narrowed the molecular weight and composition distributions of PE and PP, enabling us to control the polymer structures precisely and create such new products as very low density PE or heat‐sealable film at low temperature. The typical example of the product innovations by the combination of the high stereospecificity and the narrowed composition distribution is high‐performance impact copolymer used for an automobile bumper that used to be made of metal. These process and product innovations established these polyolefin industries. The latest MgCl₂‐supported TiCl₄ catalyst is very close to perfect control of isotactic PP structure and is expected to bring about further innovations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1–8, 2004     

Toughening of a propylene‐b‐(ethylene‐co‐propylene) copolymer by a plastomer

Several blends, covering the entire range of compositions, of a metallocenic ethylene‐1‐octene copolymer (CEO) with a multiphasic block copolymer, propylene‐b‐(ethylene‐co‐propylene) (CPE) [composed of semicrystalline isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and amorphous ethylene‐co‐propylene segments], have been prepared and analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, optical microscopy, stress‐strain and microhardness measurements, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The results show that for high CEO contents, the crystallization of the iPP component is inhibited and slowed down in such a way that it crystallizes at much lower temperatures, simultaneously with the crystallization of the CEO crystals. The mechanical results suggest very clearly the toughening effect of CEO as its content increases in the blends, although it is accompanied by a decrease in stiffness. The analysis of the viscoelastic relaxations displays, first, the glass transition of the amorphous blocks of CPE appearing at around 223 K, which is responsible for the initial toughening of the plain CPE copolymer in relation to iPP homopolymer. Moreover, the additional toughening due to the addition of CEO in the blends is explained by the presence of the β relaxation of CEO that appears at about 223 K. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1869–1880, 2002     

A Binaphthyl‐Bridged Salen Zirconium Catalyst Affording Atactic Poly(propylene) and Isotactic Poly(α‐olefins)

Summary: A binaphthyl‐bridged salen dichlorozirconium (IV ) complex that displays an octahedral structure with a trans‐O, cis‐N, and cis‐Cl arrangement was synthesized and tested as a precatalyst for ethylene and α‐olefin polymerization. While use of methylaluminoxane (MAO) cocatalyst afforded poor catalytic activity, activation by mixtures of aluminium alkyls such as AlⁱBu₃ and either MAO or [CPh₃][B(C₆F₅)₄] resulted in reasonable polymerization activities for ethylene, propene, and higher α‐olefins. Quite unexpectedly, while the polymerization of propene results in the production of a high‐molecular‐weight stereoirregular polymer, highly isotactic polymers are obtained under similar conditions from polymerization of 1‐butene, 1‐pentene, and 1‐hexene.

Polymerization employing the binaphthyl‐bridged salen dichlorozirconium (IV ) complex gave unexpected different stereospecificities for the polymerization of propene and higher α‐olefins, to yield ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight atactic poly(propylene) and highly isotactic polymers, respectively.     

Synthesis and characterization of ethylene‐propylene‐1‐pentene terpolymers

Ethylene (E), propylene (P), and 1‐pentene (A) terpolymers differing in monomer composition ratio were produced, using the metallocenes rac‐ethylene bis(indenyl) zirconium dichloride/methylaluminoxane (rac‐Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂/MAO), isopropyl bis(cyclopentadienyl)fluorenyl zirconium dichloride/methylaluminoxane (Me₂C(Cp)(Flu)ZrCl₂/MAO, and bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride, supported on silica impregnated with MAO (Cp₂ZrCl₂/MAO/SiO₂/MAO) as catalytic systems. The catalytic activities at 25 °C and normal pressure were compared. The best result was obtained with the first catalyst. A detailed study of ¹³C NMR chemical shifts, triad sequences distributions, monomer‐average sequence lengths, and reactivity ratios for the terpolymers is presented. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 947–957, 2008     

Synthesis and non‐isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(ethylene terephthalate)‐co‐poly(propylene glycol) copolymers

Poly(ethylene terephthalate)‐co‐poly(propylene glycol) (PET‐co‐PPG) copolymers with PPG ratio ranging from 0 to 0.90 mol% were synthesized by the melt copolycondensation. The intrinsic viscosity, structure, non‐isothermal crystallization behavior, nucleation and spherulitic growth of the copolymers were investigated by Ubbelohde viscometer, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H‐NMR), differential scanning calorimetry, and polarized optical microscopy, respectively. The non‐isothermal crystallization process of the copolymers was analyzed by Avrami, Ozawa, Mo's, Kissinger, and Dobreva methods, respectively. The results showed that the crystallizability of PET was apparently enhanced with incorporating a small amount of PPG, which first rose and then reduced with increasing amount of PPG in the copolymers at a given cooling rate. The crystallization mechanism was a three‐dimensional growth with both instantaneous and sporadic nucleation. Particularly, PET‐co‐PPG containing 0.60 mol% PPG exhibited the highest crystallizability among all the copolymers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Classification of homogeneous copolymers of propylene and 1‐octene based on comonomer content

The solid‐state structure and properties of homogeneous copolymers of propylene and 1‐octene were examined. Based on the combined observations from melting behavior, dynamic mechanical response, morphology with primarily atomic force microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and tensile deformation, a classification scheme with four distinct categories is proposed. The homopolymer constitutes Type IV. It is characterized by large α‐positive spherulites with thick lamellae, good lamellar organization, and considerable secondary crystallization. Copolymers with up to 5 mol % octene, with at least 28 wt % crystallinity, are classified as Type III. Like the homopolymer, these copolymers crystallize as α‐positive spherulites, however, they have smaller spherulites and thinner lamellae. Both Type IV and Type III materials exhibit thermoplastic behavior characterized by yielding with formation of a sharp neck, cold drawing, strong strain hardening, and small recovery. Copolymers classified as Type II have between 5 and 10 mol % octene with crystallinity in the range of 15–28%. Type II materials have smaller impinging spherulites and thinner lamellae than Type III copolymers. Moreover, the spherulites are α‐negative, meaning that they exhibit very little crystallographic branching. These copolymers also contain predominately α‐phase crystallinity. The materials in this category have plastomeric behavior. They form a diffuse neck upon yielding and exhibit some recovery. Type I copolymers have more than 10 mol % octene and less than 15% crystallinity. They exhibit a granular texture with the granules often assembled into beaded strings that resemble poorly developed lamellae. Type I copolymers crystallize predominantly in the mesophase. Materials belonging to this class deform with a very diffuse neck and also exhibit some recovery. They are identified as elastoplastomers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4357–4370, 2004     

Separation of ethylene‐propylene copolymers and ethylene‐propylene‐diene terpolymers using high‐temperature interactive liquid chromatography

Ethylene‐propylene‐diene terpolymers (EPDM) are generally amorphous and, therefore, do not crystallize from solution. Consequently, fractionation techniques based on crystallization, such as crystallization analysis fractionation or temperature rising elution fractionation, cannot be used to analyze their chemical composition distribution. Moreover, no suitable chromatographic system was known, which would enable to separate them according to their chemical composition. In this study, two different sorbent/solvent systems are tested with regard to the capability to separate EPDM‐terpolymers and ethylene‐propylene (EP)‐copolymers according to chemical composition. While porous graphite/1‐decanol system is selective towards ethylene and ethylidene‐2‐norbornene, carbon coated zirconia/2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol is preferentially selective towards ethylene. Consequently, the earlier system enables to separate both EP copolymers and EPDM according to the chemical composition and the latter mainly according to the ethylene content. The results prove that the chromatographic separation in both sorbent/solvent systems is not influenced by molar mass of a sample or by its long chain branching. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

New high impact polystyrene: Use of poly(1‐hexene) and poly(1‐hexene‐co‐hexadiene) as impact modifiers

In this study, polystyrene (PS) was melt blended with different amounts of poly1‐hexene (PH) and poly(1‐hexene‐co‐hexadiene) (COPOLY) and the blends were compared with conventional PS/polybutadiene (PS/PB) one. Scanning electron microscope revealed that the dispersion of PH and COPOLY in PS matrix was more uniform with the appearance of small particles in PS matrix; however, in the case of PS/PB blends, the fracture surface showed nonhomogenous morphology with the appearance of bigger rubber particles. Based on Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis results, T_g of the blends decreased in comparison with it in neat PS. Impact strength of PS/PH and PS/COPOLY blends was considerably higher than that in PS/PB and significantly higher than the value for neat PS. Tensile test showed substantial improvement in stress at yield and better elongation at break for COPOLY containing blend than the samples containing PH and PB rubbers. Also, blending of PS with 10% of the rubbers was considered in the presence of dicumylperoxide as a probable grafting/cross‐linking agent to produce XPS/COPOLY10 and XPS/PB10 samples, respectively. IR results of the nonsoluble solvent extracted gel showed that COPOLY and PB were grafted to PS matrix during melt blending, which caused higher impact strength in the related samples.     

Vanadium(III) complexes containing phenoxy–imine–thiophene ligands: Synthesis,characterization and application to homo‐ and copolymerization of ethylene

A set of vanadium(III) complexes, namely {SNO}VCl₂(THF)₂ ( 2a , SNO = thiophene‐(N═CH)‐phenol; 2b , SNO = 5‐phenylthiophene‐(N═CH)‐phenol; 2c , SNO = 5‐phenylthiophene‐(N═CH)‐4‐tert ‐butylphenol; 2d , SNO = 5‐methylthiophene‐(N═CH)‐phenol; 2e , SNO = 5‐methylthiophene‐(N═CH)‐4‐tert ‐butylphenol; 2f , SNO = 5‐methylthiophene‐(N═CH)‐2‐methylphenol; 2g , SNO = 5‐methylthiophene‐(N═CH)‐4‐fluorophenol), were synthesized by reaction of VCl₃(THF)₃ with phenoxy–imine–thiophene proligands ( 1a – g ). All vanadium(III) complexes were characterized using elemental analysis and infrared and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), vanadium precatalysts 2a – g proved active in the polymerization of ethylene (213.6–887.2 kg polyethylene (mol[V])⁻¹⋅h⁻¹), yielding high‐density polyethylenes with melting temperatures in the range 133–136 °C and crystallinities varying from 28 to 41%. The 2e/ MAO catalyst system was able to copolymerize ethylene with 1‐hexene affording poly(ethylene‐co ‐1‐hexene)s with melting temperatures varying from 126 to 102 °C and co‐monomer incorporation in the range 3.60–4.00%.     

Bis(salicylaldiminate)copper(II)/methylaluminoxane catalysts for homo‐ and copolymerizations of ethylene and methyl methacrylate

Bis(salicylaldiminate)copper(II) complexes, when activated with methylaluminoxane, catalyzed the homo‐ and copolymerizations of ethylene and methyl methacrylate (MMA). The activity in the MMA homopolymerization was influenced by the electronic and steric characteristics of the Cu(II) precursors as well as the cocatalyst concentration. The same systems revealed modest activity also in the homopolymerization of ethylene, giving a highly linear polyethylene, and in its copolymerization with MMA. These copolymers exhibited a very high content of polar groups (MMA units > 70 mol %) and were characterized by a high molecular weight and polydispersity. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1134–1142, 2007     

Metallocene‐Catalyzed Gas‐Phase Ethylene Copolymerization: Kinetics and Polymer Properties

The influence of 1‐hexene is examined on the kinetics of ethylene copolymerization with a metallocene catalyst in gas phase. A model is derived, which is able to describe a large reaction rate increase due to a small amount of incorporated comonomer. This complexation model describes the measured reaction rates for ethylene and 1‐hexene, and the co‐monomer incorporation. Polymer properties were analyzed, such as comonomer weight fraction. The density, melting point, and molecular weight of the produced polymer decreased with increase in 1‐hexene gas concentration. The in situ 1‐hexene sorption is estimated and follows Henry's law, but seems much higher than reported in the literature.

     

Effect of Pressure on the Miscibility of Polyethylene/Poly(ethylene‐alt‐propylene) Blends

Summary: Effect of density, and hence pressure, on the miscibility of a 50:50 mol/mol PE/PEP blend was studied using a coarse‐grained MC simulation approach on a high‐coordination lattice, with the conformations of the coarse‐grained chains constrained by the RIS model. Interchain pair correlation functions are used to assess the miscibility of the mixtures. Miscibility increases with increasing temperature over the range −50–150 °C. It is rather insensitive to pressure at high temperatures, but at −50 °C, the blend miscibility increases with decreasing pressure. The findings are consistent with the fact that the blend is an UCST blend and that the simulation temperatures used, except −50 °C, were considerably higher than the UCST of the blend. The pressure dependence of the blend miscibility observed near −50 °C is also in agreement with the experimental observation that the blend exhibits a negative volume change of mixing. The present work demonstrates that the coarse‐grained MC approach, when it is used with periodic boundary cells of different sizes filled with the same number of chains, is capable of capturing the pressure dependence of UCST blends. In addition, such a simulation also provides us with insights about the molecular origin of the observed pressure dependence of miscibility. In the present case, the segregation of PE and PEP chains at low temperatures and high pressure simply originates from the fact that fully extended segments of PE chains tend to cluster so that their intermolecular interactions can be maximized. As the temperature increases, there is a decrease in the probability of a trans state at a C C bond in PE, and therefore the attraction between the PE chains is reduced at higher temperatures, promoting miscibility and the UCST behavior.

Density (pressure) dependence of the 2^nd shell pair correlation function values for a 50/50 PE/PEP blend at −50 °C.     

η3‐Benzyl‐Nickel‐Diimine Complex: Synthesis and Catalytic Properties in Ethylene Polymerization

The oxidative addition of benzyl chloride to Ni(cod)₂ in the presence of 1,4‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)acenaphthenediimine followed by chloride abstraction affords [(η³‐CH₂C₆H₅)Ni(α‐diimine)][PF₆] (α‐diimine = 1,4‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)acenaphthenediimine) in 70% yield. The complex is active in ethylene polymerization in the presence of methylaluminoxane and under mild reaction conditions. The polyethylenes obtained are highly branched, have very low densities, do not show T_m or measurable crystallinity and have molecular weights ranging from 80 × 10³ to 290 × 10³ g · mol⁻¹.

     

Rare‐earth‐metal‐initiated polymerizations of (meth)acrylates and block copolymerizations of olefins with polar monomers

The organo‐rare‐earth‐metal‐initiated living polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was first discovered in 1992 with (C₅Me₅)₂LnR (where R is H or Me and Ln is Sm, Yb, Y, or La) as an initiator. These polymerizations provided highly syndiotactic (>96%) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with a high number‐average molecular weight (M_n > 1000 × 10³) and a very narrow molecular weight distribution [weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (M_w/M_n) < 1.04] quantitatively in a short period. Bridged rare‐earth‐metallocene derivatives were used to perform the block copolymerization of ethylene or 1‐hexene with MMA, methyl acrylate, cyclic carbonate, or ?‐caprolactone in a voluntary ratio. Highly isotactic (97%), monodisperse, high molecular weight (M_n > 500 × 10³, M_w/M_n < 1.1) PMMA was first obtained in 1998 with [(Me₃Si)₃C]₂Yb. Stereocomplexes prepared by the mixing of the resulting syndiotactic and isotactic PMMA revealed improved physical properties. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 1955–1959, 2001     

Characterization of polyethylene with partially random chlorine substitution

A series of chlorine‐containing polymers were prepared by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) followed by hydrogenation. This synthesis route was chosen specifically so that chain microstructures would be obtained that resembled copolymers of ethylene and vinyl chloride. The chlorine content was varied by the copolymerization of 5‐chlorocyclooctene and cyclooctene. Differential scanning calorimetry, light microscopy, tapping‐mode atomic force microscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and density were employed to characterize the polymers. The copolymers had certain restrictions on the length of the methylene sequence between substituted carbons, however, ROMP copolymerization introduced enough variation in the methylene sequence length that model copolymers with the equivalent of 14 mol % vinyl chloride or less closely resembled random copolymers of ethylene and vinyl chloride. These materials organized as spherulites and exhibited the orthorhombic crystal form. Constraints on the placement of chlorine atoms strongly affected the crystallization of polymers with more than the equivalent of 14 mol % vinyl chloride. More regular chlorine substitution along the polyethylene chain translated into better ordered crystal structures with sharp melting peaks. The granular morphology of these materials at ambient temperature was interpreted as fringed micellar crystals. The WAXD patterns provided definitive evidence that chains in the fringed micelle took the hexagonal crystal form. The lower density hexagonal form facilitated the crystallization of short ethylene sequences and accommodated chlorine atoms more easily than the orthorhombic form. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2062–2070, 2003