Properties of potentially biodegradable copolyesters of (succinic acid-1,4-butanediol)/(dimethyl terephthalate-1,4-butanediol)

• Published in: Polymer international Vol. 48; no. 9; pp. 861 - 867
• Main Authors: Lee, Sung Hyo, Lim, Sung Wook, Lee, Kwang Hee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.09.1999; Wiley
• Subjects: 1,4‐butanediol; 4-butanediol; aliphatic/aromatic copolyester; Applied sciences; biodegradability; dimethyl terephthalate; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; succinic acid; Biological properties; Biodegradation; Solution polycondensation; Property composition relationship; Biodegradability; Mechanical properties; Tensile property; Experimental study; Succinate copolymer; Ester copolymer; Butene terephthalate copolymer; Preparation; Microorganism culture
• ISSN: 0959-8103; 1097-0126
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0126(199909)48:9<861::AID-PI233>3.0.CO;2-9

Despite progress in the development of biodegradable polyesters, little attention has been given to aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters. Therefore, a series of such copolyesters has been synthesized by polycondensation of succinic acid (SA), dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and 1,4‐butanediol (BD), and their material characteristics and biodegradability have been examined. The chemical composition of the aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters strongly influences the material characteristics and biodegradability. For the copolyesters with a DMT–BD mole fraction of less than 0.2, an optimum between physical properties and biodegradability seems attainable. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry