Bio-based thermoplastic poly(butylene succinate--propylene succinate) copolyesters: effect of glycerol on thermal and mechanical properties

• Published in: Soft matter Vol. 15; no. 47; pp. 971 - 972
• Main Authors: Hsu, Kai-Hung, Chen, Chin-Wen, Wang, Li-Yuan, Chan, Hao-Wei, He, Cyuan-Lun, Cho, Chia-Jung, Rwei, Syang-Peng, Kuo, Chi-Ching
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Royal Society of Chemistry 04.12.2019
• Subjects: 1,3-Propanediol; Butanediol; Butylene Glycols - chemistry; Chain mobility; Conformation; Crystal lattices; Crystal structure; Crystallinity; Crystallization; Elasticity; Glycerol; Glycerol - chemistry; Mechanical properties; Melting point; Melting points; Modulus of elasticity; Molecular conformation; Phase change materials; Polymers - chemistry; Propylene; Succinates - chemistry; Succinic acid; Temperature; Thermal degradation; Thermal stability; Thermodynamic properties; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 1744-683X; 1744-6848
• DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01958h

Poly(butylene succinate- co -propylene succinate) (PBSPS) was polymerized using succinic acid, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and glycerol (GC). The PBSPS copolyester with a BS/PS ratio of 7/3 has a low melting point ( T m , 80 °C) and crystallization temperature ( T c , 20 °C) in addition to excellent thermal stability with a thermal degradation temperature ( T d ) above 300 °C. Isodimorphism was observed for 30-50 mol% PS, lowering T m and T c . The featured crystalline lattices (021) and (110) of PBS at 2 = 21.5° and 22.5° gradually disappeared with PS content greater than 50 mol% and transformed into a PPS crystalline lattice at 2 = 22.3°. Young's modulus decreased with increasing PS content due to crystallinity loss. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction demonstrated that the chain movement regularity was affected by the GC content, reducing the crystallinity. The PBSPS copolyesters were elastic with 0.001 mol% GC but became rigid with GC content greater than 0.01 mol%. The chain conformation was flexible for 0.001-0.01 mol% GC and exhibited an irregular steric architecture for 0.02-0.03 mol% GC due to more GC acting as nodes. Thus, the thermal and mechanical properties of the synthesized bio-based PBSPS copolyesters can be controlled by adjusting the GC content; therefore, such copolyesters are suitable for medical support, coating, and phase-change material applications. The thermal and mechanical properties of the bio-based thermoplastic copolyesters can be controlled by adjusting the glycerol content and this allows the use of such copolyesters in medical support, and coating on 3D fabrics applications.