Abstract
In the present study, a series of aliphatic polyesters based on succinic acid and several diols with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 methylene groups, namely poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu), poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), poly(hexylene succinate) (PHSu), poly(octylene succinate) (POSu), and poly(decylene succinate) (PDeSu), were prepared via a two-stage melt polycondensation method. All polyesters were semicrystalline materials with Tm ranging from 64.2 to 117.8 °C, while their Tg values were progressively decreasing by increasing the methylene group number in the used diols. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the synthesized poly(alkylene succinate)s present high thermal stability with maximum decomposition rates at temperatures 420–430 °C. The thermal decomposition mechanism was also evaluated with the aid of Pyrolysis–Gas chromatography/Mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS), proving that all the studied polyesters decompose via a similar pathway, with degradation taking place mainly via β–hydrogen bond scission and less extensive with homolytic scission.
Highlights
Poly(n-alkylene succinate)s, commonly called PnASs, are a class of biodegradable and aliphatic polyesters that have attracted momentous interest, mainly in correlation to the needs for environmentally friendly materials, in the framework of sustainability and circular economy
When it comes to real data, the US Department of Energy (US DOE) declared biobased succinic acid as a chemical platform with a high potentiality towards the synthesis of compounds conventionally derived from fossil feedstock, giving an insight and boost into poly(succinate)s research [1,2]
Poly(alkylene succinate)s such as poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu), poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), poly(hexylene succinate) (PHSu), poly(octylene succinate) (POSu), and poly(decylene succinate) (PDeSu) were synthesized by the two-stage melt polycondensation method, as previously reported [33]
Summary
Poly(n-alkylene succinate)s, commonly called PnASs, are a class of biodegradable and aliphatic polyesters that have attracted momentous interest, mainly in correlation to the needs for environmentally friendly materials, in the framework of sustainability and circular economy. Inspired by the interest in PnASs and generally in renewable and biodegradable polyesters, in the frame of the present study, five aliphatic polyesters namely poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu), poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), poly(hexylene succinate) (PHSu), poly(octylene succinate) (POSu), and poly(decylene succinate) (PDeSu) were successfully prepared, while their thermal properties, stability performance, and degradation pathway were investigated. This is the first attempt to investigate the thermal performance for a series of PnASs and especially for those with a higher number of methylene groups in the diol segment, such as with n = 6–10. Pyrolysis-Gas chromatography/Mass spectrometry (PyGC/MS) instrumentation was utilized to explore the thermal degradation products, and provide an insight into the decomposition mechanism of the studied PnASs
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