Abstract

The hydrolytic degradation of a series of homo- and co-polyesters analogous to poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene isophthalate) (PEI), prepared from carbohydrate-based monomers, was studied. The degradation process was carried out at temperatures of approximately 10 °C above the T g of the polymers. All the studied polyesters were found to degrade at significant rates, and degradability showed a clear dependence on the configuration of the sugar units present in the polymer chain. No weight loss was detected upon degradation, apparently due to the non-solubility of the degraded products in the aqueous incubation medium. Hydrolysis of co-polyesters took place preferentially by cleavage of the ester groups of the sugar units.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.