Mechanical Properties of the Nanometer Scale Precrystalline Order of a Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(ethylene naphthalate) Blend

Summary: Nanometer scale morphological order of macroscopically amorphous polyesters, obtained from the melt at moderate cooling rates, was observed in the past. The effect of such order on mechanical properties of a PET/PEN blend, evaluated by AFM nanoindentations, is reported in this study. Results show that nanoindentations conducted at relatively high load, with penetration depths of the order of 100 nm, confirm the information obtained from mechanical tests at micrometer scale, i.e., microhardness. On the other hand, true nanometer scale indentations (<40 nm) are seen to discriminate between the mechanical properties of the nanophases formed during solidification.

Statistical distribution of elastic moduli observed after 60 nanoindentations performed at 1 µN on each sample solidified at the cooling rates reported in the legend.     

Synthesis of 2-Indolyl-1-nitroalkane Derivatives Using Nanocrystalline Titanium(IV) Oxide

The catalytic Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indoles with nitroalkenes to furnish 2-indolyl-1-nitroalkane derivatives at room temperature with moderate to excellent yields is reported using nanocrystalline titanium(IV) oxide (nano-TiO₂) catalyst. In all cases, a single regioisomer was obtained. After completion of the reaction, the catalyst was recovered by centrifugation and activated under a nitrogen flow for 1 h at 250°C for further reuse. The nano-TiO₂ can be reused for four cycles with a slight decrease of activity under the same reaction conditions.     

Modeling of Semibatch Esterification Process for Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Synthesis

The esterification kinetics of terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG) in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) synthesis were studied using a semibatch reactor. Rate constants were optimized by data fitting with the oligomeric chain length, the fraction of carboxyl groups in the terminal groups (α) and the water generation curve for different EG/TPA feed ratios. The influence of the TPA particle size distribution on the solid‐liquid mass transfer rate and on acid conversion (ε) was investigated. It was observed that conversion became more sensitive towards TPA particle size as the EG/TPA feed ratio was lowered. It is advantageous to use the model based on TPA particle size for mass transfer limited esterification reactors. The effect of the monomer feed ratio on conversion, chain length and system heterogeneity can be predicted with this model.

     

The Degradation of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

The penetration of new markets by polyester fibers has emphasized the need for increased stability of the polyester toward a variety of degradative reactions. Extensive studies of the nature of the thermal, hydrolytic, oxidative, and radiation-induced degradation reactions have been reported. The interpretation of kinetic investigations and the identification of the reaction products have been facilitated by using suitable esters as model compounds in place of the polymeric species.     

Mesophase structures in poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene naphthalate) and poly(ethylene naphthalate bibenzoate)

Films of poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN) and poly(ethylene naphthalate bibenzoate) (PENBB) have been drawn under a variety of conditions of temperature and strain rate to determine the conditions under which a nematic-like mesophase structure can be produced. In PEN the combination of low temperature and high-strain rate encourages mesophase formation, while in PENBB the mesophase was formed under all conditions where it proved possible to draw the material at all. A molecular modelling study of the mesophase in PEN and in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) offers possible structures for the mesophase and showed that the mesophase structure could be stable once formed © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shape Memory Properties in Poly(ethylene oxide)–Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Copolymers

Memory effects of several copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were illustrated with photos, determined with shrinkage experiments and characterized by the recovery of samples to their original figures. Copolymers of appropriate composition could undertake an approximately full recovery which is tightly related to the annealing temperature at which shrinkage of samples occurs to some extent. Melting and recrystallization of PEO segments may be responsible for the memory effect. The memory properties of samples almost kept unchanged after many fatigue cycles (e.g. 15–20 cycles), which could make these copolymers useful in practical applications as novel shape memory materials. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Role of Organomodified Different LDHs on Recycled Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Nanocomposites

Recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)/organomodified‐layered double hydroxide (PET /organo‐LDH ) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized via a melt‐extrusion method. In an attempt to improve the compatibility with PET , LiAl , MgAl , and ZnAl LDH surfaces were modified with sulfanilic acid (SAS ) via electrostatic interaction with LDH cationic layers. In PET nanocomposites containing SAS ‐modified LDH , the (00l ) X‐ray diffraction (XRD ) peaks originating from organo‐LDH were not observed, indicating that the organomodified LDH layers were fully exfoliated and homogeneously dispersed within the PET matrix, which was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy analysis. However, PET nanocomposites containing SAS ‐modified LiAl , MgAl , and ZnAl LDH showed broad (00l ) XRD peaks, indicating that the organo‐LDH was partially exfoliated. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the thermal stability of PET/SAS‐modified LDH was significantly improved, depending on the type and loading content of SAS‐modified LDH compared to that of pristine PET . PET nanocomposites containing well‐dispersed SAS‐modified LDH showed substantial enhancement of the storage modulus.     

Surface and Thermodynamic Parameters of Polymeric Surfactants from Recycled Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Recycling of PET waste was carried out in presence of diethanolamine and manganese acetate as catalyst. The produced oligomers were reacted with stearic acid and polyethylene glycol, PEG, which have different molecular weights 400, 1,000, and 4,000 to produce nonionic polymeric surfactants having different hydrophilic‐hydrophobic balance (HLB). The surface tension, critical micelle concentration (CMC), and surface activities were determined at different temperatures. Surface parameters such as surface excess concentration Γ_max, the area per molecule at interface A_min and the effectiveness of surface tension reduction (Π_CMC) were determined from the adsorption isotherms of the prepared surfactants. From the adsorption isotherm, some thermodynamic data for the adsorption process are calculated and discussed.     

Titanium(IV) complexes with monocyclopentadienyl and phenoxy-alkoxo ligands: Synthesis,structures and catalytic properties for ethylene polymerization

Three monochlorotitanium complexes Cp′Ti(2,4-^tBu₂-6-(CPh₂O)C₆H₂O)Cl [Cp′ = η⁵-C₅H₅ (2), η⁵-C₅(CH₃)₅ (3), η⁵-C₅H₂Ph₂CH₃ (4)] have been synthesized in high yields (>90%) by the reaction of corresponding Cp′TiCl₃ with the dilithium salt of ligand 2,4-^tBu₂-6-(CPh₂OH)C₆H₂OH (1). When activated by [Ph₃C]⁺[B(C₆F₅)₄]⁻ and AlⁱBu₃, complexes 2–4 exhibit reasonable catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization, producing polyethylenes with moderate molecular weights and melting points. Addition of excess water to complex 2 gave the oxo-bridged complex [Ti(η⁵-C₅H₅)(2,4-^tBu₂-6-(CPh₂O)C₆H₂O)]₂O (5). Complexes 4 and 5 were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction.     

Titanium (IV) chloride complexes with salen ligands supported on magnesium carrier: Synthesis and use in ethylene polymerization

The magnesium support with the formula MgCl₂(THF)_0.32(Et₂AlCl)_0.36 was used for immobilization of salen complexes of titanium [Ti(salen)Cl₂, Ti(salen(OMe)₂)Cl₂]. The effects of the catalyst composition (i.e. type of titanium complex and type of activator), polymerization temperature, polymerization time, and the effect of comonomer (1‐octene) on the activity of the obtained supported catalysts, on the polymer characteristics (molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, melting point), and on the polymer morphology were studied. The findings were compared to those obtained for corresponding unsupported systems. Catalysts immobilization results in considerable changes in catalysts activity and in properties of resultant polymers. The studied supported catalysts are highly active in ethylene polymerization, their activity increases with increasing temperature and lasts at least 2 hours. Their copolymerizing ability towards 1‐octene is rather low. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6693–6703, 2009     

非晶聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯的制备与表征

采用引入U-polymer的路线制备了非晶聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯(APET).用DSC和DMA等手段研究了APET的性能.结果表明,经改性后得到的APET无结晶,透明性得到改善,玻璃化转变温度和储能模量都较PET有一定程度提高.     

Micellization and Adsorption Parameters of Nonionic Polymeric Surfactants from Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Waste

Poly (ethylene terephthalate), PET, waste was recycled to oligomers in the presence of triethanolamine and manganese acetate as a catalyst. The produced oligomers were reacted with stearic acid and polyethylene glycol having different molecular weights 400, 1000, and 4000 to produce nonionic polymeric surfactants having different hydrophile‐hydrophobe balances (HLB). The surface tension, critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface activities were determined at different temperatures. Surface parameters such as, surface excess concentration Γ_max, the area per molecule at interface A_min and the effectiveness of surface tension reduction (Π_CMC) were determined from the adsorption isotherms of the prepared surfactants. Some thermodynamic data for the adsorption process are calculated and discussed.     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) synthesis catalysed by chelated Sn,Zn and Mg complexes

A series of four C,N‐chelated diorganotin(IV) compounds, namely (L^CN)₂Sn(OCH₂CH₂O) ( 1 ), [L^CNBuSn(OCH₂CH₂O)]₂ ( 2 ), (L^CN)₂Sn(1,2‐(O)₂‐3,5‐tBu₂C₆H₂) ( 3 ) and [L^CNBuSn(1,2‐(O)₂‐3,5‐tBu₂C₆H₂)]₂ ( 4 ) (L^CN = 2‐(Me₂NCH₂)C₆H₄), one zinc species, namely L^NOZnEt ( 5 ) (L^NO = [2‐(MeO)C₆H₄]NC(Me)?C(H)C(Me)?O), and one magnesium complex, namely [L^NNMg]₆ ( 6 ), (L^NN = [2‐(Me₂NCH₂)C₆H₄]N), were used as catalysts for the synthesis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) from dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol. Prepared PET samples were primarily characterized using the size exclusion chromatography technique. The highest number‐average molar mass of prepared PET samples reached 10.7 kg mol^?1. Novel dimeric compound 2 was structurally characterized using both multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis. In addition, an alternative synthesis of 1 is described. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organocatalytic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

We describe the organocatalytic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), using a commercially available guanidine catalyst, 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD). Postconsumer PET beverage bottles were used and processed with 1.0 mol % (0.7 wt %) of TBD and excess amount of ethylene glycol (EG) at 190 °C for 3.5 hours under atmospheric pressure to give bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) in 78% isolated yield. The catalyst efficiency was comparable to other metal acetate/alkoxide catalysts that are commonly used for depolymerization of PET. The BHET content in the glycolysis product was subject to the reagent loading. This catalyst influenced the rate of the depolymerization as well as the effective process temperature. We also demonstrated the recycling of the catalyst and the excess EG for more than 5 cycles. Computational and experimental studies showed that both TBD and EG activate PET through hydrogen bond formation/activation to facilitate this reaction. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Influence of Reaction Pressure on Semibatch Esterification Process of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Synthesis

Summary: Influence of esterification pressure on oligomeric properties was studied by using a semibatch reactor. Esterification model for semibatch process was further improved by considering EG reflux in the column. It was observed that increasing the reaction pressure decreases EG/water ratio in the column while increasing the EG/TPA feed ratio increases EG/water ratio in the column. By controlling the EG reflux in a semibatch reactor, it is possible to generate oligomers with similar oligomeric properties observed at different stages of continuous process.     

Poly (ethylene terephthalate) thermo-mechanical and thermo-oxidative degradation mechanisms

¹H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS measurements were used to study the thermo-mechanical and thermo-oxidative degradation mechanisms of bottle-grade PET (btg-PET). In the thermo-oxidative degradation, the concentration of low molar mass compounds increased with time and the main products were cyclic and linear di-acid oligomers. In the thermo-mechanical degradation, the main-chain scission reactions affect the stability of the cyclic oligomers. One of the most important bottle-grade PET co-monomers is diethylene glycol (DEG), which is a “reactive site” in the thermal degradation of btg-PET. The DEG co-monomer was shown to be the precursor to colour changes in btg-PET, owing to the attack by molecular oxygen on the methylenic protons adjacent to the ether oxygen atoms of DEG. This behaviour was observed in the thermo-oxidative degradation process in which the degradation of DEG causes the release of hydroxyl radicals in the polymeric matrix, thereby producing mono- and di-hydroxyl substituted species. This was also observed in the thermo-mechanical degradation process.