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Synthesis of thermosetting polymers from the by‐products of coal conversion processes
Author(s) -
Giori C.,
Eisenberg W.,
Yamauchi T.,
Shelfo S.,
Solomon I.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1979.070241201
Subject(s) - thermosetting polymer , materials science , epoxy , curing (chemistry) , ultimate tensile strength , autoclave , ethylene glycol , polyester , flexural strength , composite material , polymer , synthetic resin , organic chemistry , chemistry , metallurgy
The use of coal conversion by‐products as raw materials in the synthesis of thermosetting polyesters has been investigated. Heavy tar residues were oxidized by gaseous oxygen in an alkaline medium, yielding a complex mixture of benzenecarboxylic acids and smaller amounts of aliphatic carboxylic acids. The mixture was polymerized by condensation with tetraethylene glycol “bottoms,” a by‐product of the synthesis of ethylene glycol. The resultant polyesters were cured by reacting them with epoxy resins in the presence of basic catalysts. Molded sheets and laminates were fabricated and tested. Tensile strength was found to increase with increasing curing time and with increasing concentration of epoxy crosslinking agent. Glass‐reinforced composites fabricated by the autoclave process showed an increase in flexural and shear strength with decreasing autoclave pressure.