Forms of polyesters

Polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PETE or simply 1, is a form of polyester often used to make bottles and jars to contain food. When collected, it is ground up into flakes and formed into pellets. The most common use for recycled PETE is the manufacture of polyester carpets. But it may also be spun into a cotton-candy-like form that can be used as a fiber filling for pillows or sleeping bags. It may also be rolled into thin sheets or ribbons and used as tapes for VCRs or tape decks. Reuse to produce bottles and jars is also common. 

Unsaturated polyesters are generally in the form of polyester resins, which are viscous liquids, or even solids with low melting point, and have low molecular weights. The polymer units are linked via ester groups, and... 

Alkyds are a form of polyester. The main acid ingredient in an alkyd is phthalic acid or its anhydride, and the main alcohol is usnaUy glycerol [18]. Through a condensation reaction, the organic acid and the alcohol form an ester. When the reactants contain mnltiple alcohol and acid groups, a crosslinked polymer results from the condensation reactions [18],... 

Polyester (aka Terylene) is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many forms of polyesters, the term "polyester" is most commonly used to refer to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Other forms of polyester include the naturally-occurring cutin of plant cuticles as well as synthetic polyesters such as polycarbonate and polybutyrate. 

H02C(CH2)2C02H. Colourless prisms m.p. 182 C, b.p. 235°C. Occurs in amber, algae, lichens, sugar cane, beets and other plants, and is formed during the fermentation of sugar, tartrates, malates and other substances by a variety of yeasts, moulds and bacteria. Manufactured by the catalytic reduction of maleic acid or by heating 1,2-dicyanoethane with acids or alkalis. Forms an anhydride when heated at 235°C. Forms both acid and neutral salts and esters. Used in the manufacture of succinic anhydride and of polyesters with polyols. 

Not all synthetic polymers are used as fibers Mylar for example is chemically the same as Dacron but IS prepared in the form of a thin film instead of a fiber Lexan is a polyester which because of its impact resistance is used as a shatterproof substitute for glass It IS a polycarbonate having the structure shown... 

The discussion of polyamides parallels that of polyesters in many ways. To begin with, polyamides may be formed from an AB monomer, in this case amino acids ... 

Textile uses are a relatively stable area and consist of the lamination of polyester foams to textile products, usually by flame lamination or electronic heat sealing techniques. Flexible or semirigid foams are used in engineered packaging in the form of special slab material. Flexible foams are also used to make filters (reticulated foam), sponges, scmbbers, fabric softener carriers, squeegees, paint appHcators, and directly appHed foam carpet backing. 

The largest commercial use of ethylene glycol is its reaction with dicarboxyUc acids to form linear polyesters. Poly(ethylene terephthalate)... 

The primary and secondary alcohol functionahties have different reactivities, as exemplified by the slower reaction rate for secondary hydroxyls in the formation of esters from acids and alcohols (8). 1,2-Propylene glycol undergoes most of the typical alcohol reactions, such as reaction with a free acid, acyl hahde, or acid anhydride to form an ester reaction with alkaU metal hydroxide to form metal salts and reaction with aldehydes or ketones to form acetals and ketals (9,10). The most important commercial appHcation of propylene glycol is in the manufacture of polyesters by reaction with a dibasic or polybasic acid. 

Because lactic acid has both hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups, it undergoes iatramolecular or self-esterificatioa and forms linear polyesters, lactoyUactic acid (4) and higher poly(lactic acid)s, or the cycUc dimer 3,6-dimethyl-/)-dioxane-2,5-dione [95-96-5] (dilactide) (5). Whereas the linear polyesters, lactoyUactic acid and poly(lactic acid)s, are produced under typical condensation conditions such as by removal of water ia the preseace of acidic catalysts, the formation of dilactide with high yield and selectivity requires the use of special catalysts which are primarily weakly basic. The use of tin and ziac oxides and organostaimates and -titanates has been reported (6,21,22). 

Phthahc anhydride (1) is the commercial form of phthaUc acid (2). The worldwide production capacity for the anhydride was ca 3.5 x 10 metric tons ia 1993, and it was used ia the manufacture of plasticizers (qv), unsaturated polyesters, and alkyd resins (qv) (see Polyesters, unsaturated). Sales of terephthahc acid (3) and its dimethyl ester are by far the largest of any of the benzenepolycarboxyhc acids 14.3 x 10 t were produced in 1993. This is 80% of the total toimage of ah. commercial forms of the benzenepolycarboxyhc acids. Terephthahc acid is used almost exclusively for the manufacture of poly(ethylene terephthalate), which then is formed into textiles, films, containers, and molded articles. Isophthahc acid (4) and trimehitic anhydride (5) are commercial products, but their worldwide production capacities are an order of magnitude smaller than for terephthahc acid and its dimethyl ester. Isophthahc acid is used primarily in the production of unsaturated polyesters and as a comonomer in saturated polyesters. Trimehitic anhydride is used mainly to make esters for high performance poly(vinyl chloride) plasticizers. Trimesic acid (6), pyromehitic dianhydride (7), and hernimehitic acid (8) have specialized commercial apphcations. The rest of the benzenepolycarboxyhc acids are not available commercially. 

R = (CH2 )2) and terephthaUc acid (R = ) is familiar in the form of soda bottles, recording tape, and polyester fiber (see Fibers, polyester). 

The concept of functionaUty and its relationship to polymer formation was first advanced by Carothers (15). Flory (16) gready expanded the theoretical consideration and mathematical treatment of polycondensation systems. Thus if a dibasic acid and a diol react to form a polyester, assumiag there is no possibihty of other side reactions to compHcate the issue, only linear polymer molecules are formed. When the reactants are present ia stoichiometric amouats, the average degree of polymerization, follows the equatioa ... 

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