SURFACE GRAFTING OF POLYESTERS ONTO ORGANIC PIGMENTS AND THEIR DISPERSIBILITY IN ORGANIC SOLVENT

To modify the dispersibility of an organic pigment, such as quinacridone and anthraquinone, in organic solvents, the surface grafting of polyesters onto organic pigments by the anionic ring-opening alternating copolymerization of epoxides with cyclic acid anhydrides initiated by potassium carboxylate (COOK) groups introduced onto these surfaces was investigated. The organic pigment having COOK groups was prepared by the following two methods: (a) the reaction of potassium carbonate with surface acyl chloride groups, which were introduced by the treatment of surface amino groups with adipoyl dich bride, and (b) the graft polymerization of potassium acrylate initiated by azo groups introduced onto the surface. The anionic ring-opening alternating copolymerization of epoxides with cyclic acid anhydrides was initiated by COOK groups introduced onto the organic pigment surfaces to give the corresponding polyester-grafted organic pigments. The dispersibility of organic pigments in organic solvent was remarkably improved by the grafting of polyesters onto the surface.