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The use of sodium salts as nucleation agents for polyethylene terephthalate with minimal molecular weight reduction
Author(s) -
Gilmer J. W.,
Neu R. P.,
Liu Y. J.,
Jen Alex K.Y.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760351712
Subject(s) - polyethylene terephthalate , sodium , nucleation , poly ethylene , ethylene , carboxylate , materials science , carboxylic acid , pyrrole , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry , chemistry , catalysis , composite material
The sodium salts of carboxylic acids and other weak acids are routinely used as nucleation agents for injection moldable poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) resins. One of the primary drawbacks accompanying their use is the degradation of the PET resulting from the attack of the ester by the sodium carboxylate. Several sodium carboxylates have been found based on pyrrole carboxylic acid that are effective as nucleants but which do not cause a reduction in the molecular weight of PET. In addition, tetraphenyl borate salts, although only marginally effective as nucleants, were observed to be efficient additives to PET for counteracting molecular weight loss caused by chemical nucleants.