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Low‐crystallinity to highly amorphous copolyesters with high glass transition temperatures based on rigid carbohydrate‐derived building blocks
Author(s) -
Chen Jingying,
Lin Yiming,
Chen Yong,
Koning Cor E,
Wu Jing,
Wang Huaping
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.6123
Subject(s) - glass transition , polyester , materials science , crystallinity , amorphous solid , condensation polymer , isosorbide , copolyester , chemical engineering , polymer , copolymer , crystallization , polymer chemistry , hydrolysis , organic chemistry , composite material , chemistry , engineering
The current trend of developing novel biobased polymeric materials is focused more on utilizing the unique structural/physical properties of renewable building blocks towards niche market applications. In this work, with the aim of developing low‐crystallinity to amorphous polyesters with enhanced thermal properties, a series of copolyesters based on rigid and structurally asymmetric carbohydrate‐derived building blocks, namely furan‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid and isosorbide, and 1,4‐butanediol were successfully synthesized using melt polycondensation. The copolyesters were obtained with varied chemical compositions and rather high molecular weights ( M n = 24 000–31 000 g mol −1 ) and intrinsic viscosities ([ η ] = 0.56–0.72 dL g −1 ). Incorporation of both building blocks significantly enhances the glass transition temperatures ( T g = 38–107 °C) of polyesters, and also efficiently inhibits the crystallization of the copolyesters. A low content of isosorbide ( ca 10 mol%) leads to complete transition of the homopolyester to nearly fully amorphous materials. Detailed characterizations of the chemical structures and thermal properties of the synthesized copolyesters were conducted using various analytical techniques. In addition, hydrolytic and enzymatic degradations of the copolymers in the presence of porcine pancreatic lipase and cutinase were also investigated. © 2020 Society of Industrial Chemistry