Premium
Macromolecular design of novel sulfur‐containing copolyesters with promising mechanical properties
Author(s) -
Gigli M.,
Lotti N.,
Gazzano M.,
Finelli L.,
Munari A.
Publication year - 2012
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.36856
Subject(s) - miscibility , crystallinity , materials science , copolymer , polymer chemistry , dynamic mechanical analysis , transesterification , polymer , phase (matter) , amorphous solid , chemical engineering , composite material , crystallography , organic chemistry , chemistry , methanol , engineering
Abstract The miscibility of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/poly(butylene thiodiglycolate) (PBTDG) blends was investigated by DSC technique. PBS and PBTDG were completely immiscible in as blended‐state, as evidenced by the presence of two T g s at −34 and −48°C, respectively. The miscibility changes upon mixing at elevated temperature: the original two phases merged into a single one because of transesterification reactions. Poly(butylene succinate/thiodiglycolate) block copolymers, prepared by reactive blending of the parent homopolymers, were studied to investigate the effects of transesterification reactions on the molecular structure and solid‐state properties. 13 C‐NMR analysis evidenced the formation of copolymers whose degree of randomness increased with mixing time. Thermal characterization results showed that all the samples were semicrystalline, with a soft rubbery amorphous phase and a rigid crystal phase whose amount decreased by introducing BTDG units into the PBS chain (20 ≤ χ c ≤ 41). Lastly, the mechanical properties were found strictly related to crystallinity degree (χ c ), the random copolymer, exhibiting the lowest elastic modulus ( E = 61 MPa) and the highest deformation at break (ε b (%) = 713). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012