Biobased Poly(ethylene succinate)-b-poly(triethylene terephthalate) multiblock copolyesters with high melting temperature and improved crystallization rate and mechanical property

Abstract

Biobased poly(ethylene succinate)- b -poly(triethylene terephthalate) (PES -b- PTEGT) multiblock copolyesters with low weight ratios of PTEGT segment were successfully synthesized from dihydroxyl terminated PES and dihydroxyl terminated PTEGT prepolymers in this work through a chain extension reaction. The thermal, crystallization, and mechanical properties of PES -b- PTEGT were systematically investigated and compared with those of PES also prepared via the chain extension method. Two glass transition temperature ( T g ) values were detected for PES -b- PTEGT, corresponding to the T g of PES segment and that of PTEGT segment, respectively. PES -b- PTEGT showed a high melting temperature of around 100 °C and a thermal decomposition temperature of above 320 °C. The crystallizability of PES segment in PES -b- PTEGT was obviously enhanced under different crystallization conditions, which was attributed to the interface-assisted crystallization. In addition, the mechanical property (including both the elongation at break and the tensile strength) of PES -b- PTEGT was also remarkably improved. The synthesis of PES -b- PTEGT with a high melting temperature, faster crystallization rate, and improved mechanical property provided a new modification method to improve the physical property and extend the practical application of biodegradable polyesters. • Biobased PES -b- PTEGT copolyesters were synthesized via a chain extension reaction. • PES -b- PTEGT showed a high T m of around 100 °C and a T d of above 320 °C. • The crystallizability of PES segment in PES -b- PTEGT was obviously enhanced. • The mechanical property of PES -b- PTEGT was also remarkably improved. • This research proposed a novel method to modify the physical properties of PES.