Effect of transesterification products on the miscibility and phase behavior of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/bisphenol A polycarbonate blends

Blends of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/bisphenol A polycarbonate (PTT/PC) with different compositions were prepared by melt blending. The effect of transesterification on the miscibility and phase behavior of the blends was studied using DSC, DMA, and ¹H NMR. The DMA results revealed a two-phase system with partial miscibility. DSC thermograms of the first heating scan showed a crystallizable system in which addition of PC-phase reduces the degree of crystallinity. However, the cooling and also the second heating scans revealed the complete miscibility of all the blends. It was concluded that annealing at 300 °C (to remove thermal history of the blends) caused the constituents to undergo the transesterification reaction, which changes the blend to a miscible system. The miscibility is due to formation of block copolymers with different block lengths which also suppress the crystallization of the system. The degree of randomness and sequence lengths of the copolymers were determined to analyze the extent of transesterification reaction and structure of the system. It was observed that as the reaction progresses, the degree of randomness increases and the sequence length of the copolymers decreases. Moreover, both increase of reaction time and temperature increased the extent of reaction. The results of DSC and ¹H NMR showed that a small amount of reaction is needed to change this system to a miscible blend.     

紫外分光光度法表征Lipozyme TL IM脂肪酶转酯化活性

建立了一种新的有机相脂肪酶转酯化活性测定方法. 以正己烷为溶剂,脂肪酶催化棕榈酸对硝基苯酯和正丁醇的转酯化反应为模型反应,通过测定反应液中310 nm下吸光值的变化计算反应转化率. 以气相色谱法对新建的紫外分光光度法进行验证,分别采用这两种方法测定了七种商品化脂肪酶的转酯化活性,两种方法所得实验结果基本一致. 利用紫外分光光度检测法考察了Lipozyme TL IM脂肪酶催化转酯化的时间进程及合成活性与酶量的关系,并对Lipozyme TL IM催化转酯化的性质（最适溶剂、酰基受体特异性、醇耐受性、最优反应温度和热力学稳定性）进行了表征.     

Kinetics and thermodynamics of synthesis of palm oil-based trimethylolpropane triester using microwave irradiation

Enhancement of reaction performance utilizing microwave irradiation has drawn so much interest due to its shorter reaction time and low catalyst loading. These advantages are particularly significant from kinetics and thermodynamics perspectives. This study aimed to investigate the kinetics and thermodynamics of microwave-assisted transesterification of palm oil-based methyl ester into biolubricant. The transesterification reaction of palm oil methyl ester (PME) and trimethylolpropane (TMP) was conducted at 110–130 °C for 90 min under vacuum condition. Sodium methoxide was employed as the catalyst at 0.6 wt% of reactants fixed at molar ratio of 4:1 (PME: TMP). The experimental data were fitted with the second-order reversible reaction kinetics mechanisms. The data were solved via Runge-Kutta 4,5 order using MATLAB software. Analysis on the data revealed that the reaction rate constants at temperatures of 110–140 ℃ were in the range of 0.01–0.63 [(w/w)(min)]⁻¹, with standard errors of 0.0026–0.0228 within 99.99% prediction interval. Microwave-assisted reaction obtained 17.0 kcal/mol of activation energy. This method reduced activation energy by 49% as compared to the conventional heating. Activation energy and time-periodic energy assessment showed that the reaction was endothermic. The reaction at 130 °C is the easiest to activate. The positive Gibbs free energy (ΔG > 0) found using Eyring-Polanyi equation indicated that the transesterification was non-spontaneous and endergonic.     

Simultaneous determination of main reaction components in the reaction mixture during biodiesel production

The proposed analytical method allows for simultaneous determination by GC using a programed temperature vaporization injector and a flame ionization detector of the main reaction components (i.e. glycerol, methyl esters, mono‐, di‐, and triacylglycerols) in the reaction mixture during biodiesel production. The suggested method is convenient for the rapid and simple evaluation of the kinetic data gained during the transesterification reaction and, also partially serves as an indicator of the quality of biodiesel and mainly, as the indicator of the efficiency of the whole production process (i.e. the conversion of triacylglycerols to biodiesel and its time progress). The optimization of chromatographic conditions (e.g. the oven temperature program, injector setting, amount of derivatization reagent, and the derivatization reaction time) was performed. The method has been validated with crude samples of biodiesel made from waste‐cooking oils in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, sensitivity, and limits of detection and quantification. The results confirmed a satisfactory degree of accuracy and repeatability (the mean RSDs were usually below 2%) necessary for the reliable quantitative determination of all components in the considerable concentration range (e.g. 10–1100 μg/mL in case of methyl esters). Compound recoveries ranging from 96 to 104% were obtained.     

Reaction-induced miscibility in blends comprised of bisphenol-A polycarbonate and poly(trimethylene terephthalate)

The inherent miscibility and effects of reaction-induced changes on the phase behaviour of blends of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) with bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) were studied. The as-prepared (solution-cast) blends exhibited two well-spaced and separated glass transition temperatures (T_gs) and a heterogeneous phase-separated morphology, indicating an immiscible system. However, after annealing at high temperature (at 260 °C), the blends original two T_gs merged into one single T_g, and the annealed blends exhibited a homogeneous morphology, and turned from having a semicrystalline into having an amorphous nature upon extended annealing. The annealing-induced changes of phase behaviour in the blends were analyzed. The homogenization process of the blends upon heating is attributed to chemical transreactions between the PTT and PC chain segments, as evidenced with FT-IR characterization. The IR result showed a new aryl C-O vibration peak at 1,070 cm^–1 for the annealed blends, which is characteristic of an aromatic polyester structure formed from exchange reactions between PTT and PC. The transreactions between PTT and PC led to a random copolymer comprised of PC/PTT segments, which is believed to serve as a compatibilizer at the beginning stage of transreactions, but at later stage, the random copolymer became the main species of blends and turned to a homogeneous and amorphous phase.     

TRANSESTERIFICATION OF POLY（BISPHENOL A CARBONATE） WITH AROMATIC AND ALIPHATIC SEGMENTS IN BUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE-CAPROLACTONE COPOLYESTER

In this article, the transesterification of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC) with butylene terephthalate-caprolactone copolyester at a weight ratio 50/50 (BCL(21)) was thoroughly investigated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (^1H-NMR), in conjunction with a model compound. The ^1H-NMR results of the annealed blend PC/BCL(21) show that the formation of bisphenol A-terephthalate ester units is the same as in the annealed blend of PC with PBT, and the transesterification actually occurs between PC and butylene terephthalate (BT) segments in BCL(21). By comparison with the model compound bisphenol A dibutyrate, the new signal appearing at δ=2.56 in the ^1H-NMR spectrum confirms the existence of bisphenol A caprolactone ester units resulting from the exchange reaction of PC with caprolactone (CL) segments. ^1H-NMR analysis of the transesterification rates reveals that the reaction of PC with aromatic and aliphatic segments in BCL(21) proceeds in a random manner. The miscibility of the blend PC/BCL(21) copolyester is favorable for the transesterification of PC with BT segments and CL segments.     

Mechanistic studies on the enzymatic transesterification of polyesters

The effect of solvents on the enzymatic transesterification of aliphatic polyesters has been investigated. It has been shown that the hydrophobicity and the polarity of the solvent have little effect on the reaction, however, the molecular weight of the product depends on the solubility of the product in the medium. Above a certain molecular weight, when the product is no longer soluble in the medium, transesterification does not occur. Deuterium NMR studies have shown that transesterification tends to take place at the ends of the polymer chain rather than at random along the polymer chain.     

辛酸镁催化L-丙交酯与ε-己内酯共聚及其共聚物结构与性能研究

以无毒性的辛酸镁为催化剂催化L-丙交酯和ε-己内酯本体开环共聚合,制备了一系列不同单体配比的共聚物.首先用1H-NMR跟踪了共聚合单体转化率,显示L-LA聚合速率显著快于ε-CL.用13C-NMR分析共聚物微观结构和计算单体单元平均序列长度(LLLe和LCe),表明聚合过程中酯交换反应导致单元序列结构重新分布.随着反应进行,LLLe急剧下降而LCe逐渐增加后稍有降低,游程数逐渐增大,共聚物无规度提高.反应初期主要是一级酯交换反应,二级酯交换反应导致的CLC序列结构在反应后期才观察到.由Fineman-Ross法计算出L-丙交酯和ε-己内酯的竞聚率分别为rLA=23和rCL=0.22,表明在聚合反应初期L-LA单体优先插入聚合物增长链端,形成LL单元长嵌段结构.共聚物组成显著影响单元序列长度,各序列长度随相应单体加入量增加而增长.二级酯交换系数(TII[CLC])随ε-CL含量增加而增大.对于整个组成范围内,根据竞聚率计算的LLLr值始终要大于聚合产物的LLLe,而LCr计算值小于或接近LCe实验值.因此,共聚物单元序列分布随共聚物投料比和反应时间而改变,趋向于无规分布.以DSC和XRD分析了共聚物热性能和结晶性,表明共聚物结晶性与单元序列长度密切相关.所有共聚物只有一个玻璃化转变温度Tg,符合无规共聚物的Fox方程,说明所得共聚物为无规共聚物,或者说包含有相容性嵌段成分的共聚物.     

Dimethyl carbonate synthesis via transesterification catalyzed by quaternary ammonium salt functionalized chitosan

A quaternary ammonium salt covalently linked to chitosan was first used as a catalyst for dimethyl carbonate （DMC） synthesis by the transesterification of propylene carbonate （PC） with methanol. The effects of various reaction variables like reaction time, temperature and pressure on the catalytic performance were also investigated. 54% DMC yield and 71% PC conversion were obtained under the optimal reaction conditions. Notably, the catalyst was able to be reused with retention of high catalytic activity and selectivity. Consequently, the process presented here has great potential for industrial application due to its advantages such as stability, easy preparation from renewable biopolymer, and simple separation from products.     

Study of immobilized candida rugosa lipase for biodiesel fuel production from palm oil by flow microcalorimetry

Enzymatic transesterification of palm oil with methanol and ethanol was studied. Of the four lipases that were tested in the initial screening, lipase Candida Rugosa (CR) resulted in the highest yield of mono alkyl esters. Lipase CR was further investigated in immobilized form within an activated carbon as support. The activated carbon was prepared by activation physical. Using the immobilized lipase CR, the effects of water and alcohol concentration, enzyme loading and enzyme thermal stability in the transesterification reaction were investigated. The optimal conditions for processing 50 g of palm oil were: 37 °C, 1:14.5 oil/methanol molar ratio, 1.0 g water and 500 mg lipase for the reactions with methanol, 35 °C, 1:15.0 oil/ethanol molar ratio, 1.0 g water, 500 mg lipase for the reactions with ethanol, and 35 °C, 1:10.0 oil/n-butanol molar ratio, 1.0 g water, 500 mg lipase for the reactions with ethanol. Subject to the optimal conditions, methyl and ethyl esters formation of 70 and 85 mol% in 1 h of reaction were obtained for the immobilized enzyme reactions. The flow microcalorimetry is an important and novel techniques is used in evaluation of biodiesel production.