Abstract
We report a method of reinforcing and toughening unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) with a kind of hyperbranched polyester (HBP-1). Polyethylene glycol with different molecular weight was used as the core molecule of the preparation reaction, and the reaction product of phthalic anhydride and glycerol was used as the branching unit. The esterification reaction of polycondensation occurred, and then the hydroxyl-terminated hyperbranched polyester was prepared. The reaction product of maleic anhydride and isooctanol was added to the prepared hydroxyl-terminated hyperbranched polyester for esterification reaction. Both ends of the hyperbranched polyester had unsaturated double bond to obtain the hyperbranched polyester (HBP-1). The effects of this treatment on the morphology, mechanical properties and thermal properties of the composites were studied in detail. The HBP-1 was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The HBP-1/UPR composites were investigated by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), mechanical properties analysis and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results showed that HBP-1 enhanced the thermostability and mechanical properties of UPR. However, DMA indicated that the addition of HBP-1 cannot effectively improve the thermodynamic properties of UPR due to the flexible chain in HBP-1 structure. The HBP-1 improves tensile strength, bending strength and impact strength compared to neat UPR.
Highlights
Hyperbranched polyester has a unique structure, low synthesis cost and simple synthesis method
Lipei Yue et al [18] synthesized a series of Aromatic Hyperbranched Polyesters (HBPEs) by onepot reaction with 1,2,4-Benzenetricarboxylic anhydride, diethylene glycol and methanol as raw materials
The results showed that the carboxyl group at the end of HBPE-COOH could promote the curing process of the epoxy/anhydride system
Summary
Hyperbranched polyester has a unique structure, low synthesis cost and simple synthesis method. Unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) is a kind of linear polymer compound, which can be cured rapidly at room temperature, having good mechanical properties, simple synthesis and production process. It can be widely used in many fields, such as coatings, cast plastics, fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) etc. The effects of HBP-1 synthesized with different molecular weights of core molecules (polyethylene glycol) and the amount of HBP-1 added on the mechanical and thermal properties of UPR were investigated. The unsaturated polyester resin (UPR, 9231-VP) used was purchased from Swancor Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., (Shanghai, China) which contained 45% (by weight) styrene monomer as crosslinking agent. Weigh a certain amount of phthalic anhydride and glycerol according to the molar ratio of 1:1, add the phthalic anhydride and glycerol into a four-necked flask equipped with a mechanical stirring device, a condensing tube, a thermometer and a nitrogen inlet, heat to 110–115 ◦C, and keep the temperature for 1–1.5 h under a nitrogen flow to obtain a reaction product PA-G
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