Polymer Polybutylene terephthalate

Succinic acid is one of the high-volume specialty chemicals. It is produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of petrochemical maleic acid or anhydride. However, due to cost reductions delivered via the production of succinic acid from the bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates, a large-volume commodity market could be realized. Presently, the bacterial strain used for succinic acid manufacturing is Escherichia coli. However, the requirement for lower costs is moving companies toward other microorganisms, such as Coryne-type bacteria and yeast. Succinic acid can be converted to 1,4-butanediol (EDO) and other products. It also serves as a raw material for diverse important chemicals, including polymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and polybutylene succinate. 

In a molded polymer blend, the surface morphology results from variations in composition between the surface and the bulk. Static SIMS was used to semiquan-titatively provide information on the surface chemistry on a polycarbonate (PC)/polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) blend. Samples of pure PC, pure PBT, and PC/PBT blends of known composition were prepared and analyzed using static SIMS. Fn ment peaks characteristic of the PC and PBT materials were identified. By measuring the SIMS intensities of these characteristic peaks from the PC/PBT blends, a typical working curve between secondary ion intensity and polymer blend composition was determined. A static SIMS analysis of the extruded surface of a blended polymer was performed. The peak intensities could then be compared with the known samples in the working curve to provide information about the relative amounts of PC and PBT on the actual surface. 

C13-0055. Polybutylene terephthalate, used to make countertops and sinks, has the following stmcture. Draw the stmctural formulas of the monomers from which this polymer is made. 

Polyesters, which are a class of engineering thermoplastics, are found in a wide variety of applications including carbonated drink bottles, fibers for synthetic fabrics, thin films for photographic films and food packaging, injection molded automotive parts, and housings for small appliances. In this chapter, we svill explore the synthesis of this class of polymers. We will also look at the typical properties and end uses for the most common of these resins, polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, which are commonly known as PET and PBT, respectively. 

Polyesters form via a condensation reaction between a dicarboxylic acid and a dialcohol to create an ester linkage, as shown in Fig. 24.1. By far, the two most common polyesters are polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, the chemical structures of which are shown in Fig. 24.2. These two polymers differ from one another by the length... 

In addition to the desired polymerization reaction, the dialcohol reactants can participate in deleterious side reactions. Ethylene glycol, used in the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate, can react with itself to form a dialcohol ether and water as shown in Fig. 24.4a). This dialcohol ether can incorporate into the growing polymer chain because it contains terminal alcohol units. Unfortunately, this incorporation lowers the crystallinity of the polyester on cooling which alters the polymer s physical properties. 1,4 butanediol, the dialcohol used to manufacture polybutylene terephthalate, can form tetrahydrofuran and water as shown in Fig. 24.4b). Both the tetrahydrofuran and water can be easily removed from the melt but this reaction reduces the efficiency of the process since reactants are lost. 

Both polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate exhibit partial crystallinity in the solid state. The molecular weight of the polymer and the time permitted for cooling define the degree of crystallinity of the polymer. Very slow cooling results in high crystallinity and opacity, while fast quenching creates low crystallinity, high clarity material. 

We previously reported that brominated aromatic phosphate esters are highly effective flame retardants for polymers containing oxygen such as polycarbonates and polyesters (9). Data were reported for use of this phosphate ester in polycarbonates, polyesters and blends. In some polymer systems, antimony oxide or sodium antimonate could be deleted. This paper is a continuation of that work and expands into polycarbonate alloys with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). 

Figure 6.2 The polyesteramide structure proposed by Gaymans and co-workers E, ester group A, amide group [21]. Reprinted from Polymer, 38, van Bennekom, A. C. M. and Gaymans, R. J., Amide-modified polybutylene terephthalate structure and properties, 657-665, Copyright (1997), with permission from Elsevier Science...

Song, K. and White, J. L., Formation and characterization of cast and biaxi-ally stretched polybutylene terephthalate film, Polym. Eng. Sci., 38, 505-515 (1998). 

Hobbs, S. Y. and Pratt, C. F., The effect of skin-core morphology on the impact fracture of polybutylene terephthalate, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 19, 1701-1722 (1975). 

Borman, W. F. H., Molecular weight-viscosity relationships for polybutylene terephthalate,./. Appl. Polym. Sci., 22, 2119-2126 (1978). 

Cheng, Y.-Y., Brillhart, M., Cebe, P. and Capel, M., X-ray scattering and thermal analysis study of the effects of molecular weight on phase structure in blends of polybutylene terephthalate with polycarbonate, J. Poly. Sci., Polym. Phys., 34, 2953-2965 (1996). 

Hamilton, D. G. and Gallucci, R. R., The effects of molecular weight on polycarbonate-polybutylene terephthalate blends, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 48, 2249-2252 (1993). 

Pellow-Jarman, M. and Hetem, M., The effect of the polybutylene terephthalate constituent on the reactions occurring in PBT-polycarbonate polymer blends below their decomposition temperature, Plast. Rubber Composites Proc. Appl., 23, 31-41 (1995). 

McAlea, K.P. and Besio, G.J. (1988). Adhesion between polybutylene terephthalate and E-glass measured with a microbond technique. Polym. Composites, 9, 285 290. 

Polymers having many flexibilizing groups (CH2, O), such as polyethylene. polyisoprene, and polysiloxanes (silicones), are flexible. Other less-flexible polymers may be flexibilized by the introduction of flexibilizing groups. For example, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is more flexible than polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and nylon 11 is less rigid than nylon 6. 

PBDEs are used in different resins, polymers, and substrates at levels ranging from 5 to 30% by weight (EU 2001). Plastic materials that utilize PBDEs as flame retardants include ABS polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polyamide(PA) polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) polyethylene (PE) cross-linked polyethylene (XPE) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polypropylene (PP) polystyrene (PS) high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polyurethane (PUR) and unsaturated polyester (UPE). These polymers and examples of their final products are summarized inTable 5-2 (Hardy 2002 WHO 1994a). 

Many other reports have demonstrated the smoke suppressing tendencies of hydrated fillers in various polymers including ethylene-propylene-diene elastomers,43 PP,38 polystyrene,49 modified polyphenylene oxide, polybutylene terephthalate, and ABS.37 In addition to suppressing smoke generation, a delay in the onset of smoke evolution is also achievable.25 Figure 7.5 illustrates smoke reductions obtained in PP. 

Most polymers fall in the class of translucent resins. These include acetal, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene, and polypropylene as examples. There are very few neat polymers that are truly opaque (this depends on thickness as well). Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) is an example of a typically opaque polymer. It is theorized that these semicrystalline and crystalline resins will scatter some portion of incident light due to spherulitic crystal structure and the amorphous-crystalline region interfaces themselves. 

For conventional technical applications aromatic polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) are widely used. But these polymers are biologically inert and thus not directly applicable as biodegradable plastics. Combining both the excellent material properties of aromatic polyesters and the potential biodegradability of aliphatic polyesters has led to the development of a number of commercially available aliphatic-aromatic co-polyesters over the last decade or so. 

Hahgenated polymers, both brominated and chlorinated, have been developed to yield better polymer compatibility, improve physical properties, and long-term-aging characteristics in many thermoplastic resins, particularly the high-performance engineering thermoplastics, such as nylon, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These materials still use antimony oxide as a synergist to achieve the desired flame resistance (31). 

Apart from ZHS and ZS, little work has generally been undertaken on tin-based Are retardants in nonhalogen polymer systems. However, certain tin(II) compounds have shown excellent flame-retardant and smoke-suppressant properties when incorporated at levels of 20-30% into aromatic polyesters, specifically polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Hence, tin(ll) oxide, tin(II) oxalate, and tin(II) phosphate have been shown to markedly increase flame retardancy in PBT, whereas, interestingly, tin(IV) oxide is almost totally ineffective in the same polymeric substrate. 

Moldability of aryl polyesters have also been improved by the use of polybutylene terephthalate (PET) instead of PET or by the use of blends of PET and PET. PET under the trade name of Celanex, Valox, Gafite and Versel is being produced at an annual rate of 25 thousand tons. Copolymers of carbonate and aryl esters, acrylics and aryl esters, and imide and aryl esters as well as physical blends of polyesters and other polymers are available. These aryl polyesters are being used for bicycle wheels, springs, and blow molded containers. The properties of typical aryl polyesters are as follows ... 

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