Synthesis and Properties of Poly(butylene carbonate-co-spirocyclic carbonate)

Poly(butylene carbonate)(PBC) has significantly promising applications as a degradable material in the field of polymers, while its poor thermal performance and low crystallization rate are its main defects. To overcome these shortcomings, a series of poly(butylene carbonate-co-spirocyclic carbonate)(PBSC) copolymers were synthesized from diphenyl carbonate, 1,4-butanediol and spiroglycol via two-step polycondensation reactions, using magnesium oxide as a catalyst. Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) results indicated that the glass transition temperature(T_g) values of PBSC copolymers were enhanced from -19℃ to 56℃ with rising the spiroacetal moiety content. Thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) results showed that the resulting PBSCs have a higher thermal stability than that of poly(butylene carbonate). Wide angle X-ray diffraction(WXRD) patterns were characterized to investigate the crystallization behaviour of PBSCs. Tensile testing demonstrated that copolymerization of spiroacetal moieties into PBC chains imparted PBSC with favourable mechanical performance. Typically, PBSC30 had a tensile modulus of (1735±430) MPa, a tensile strength of (42±5) MPa and an elongation of 504%±36%.