Kinetic and Property Parameters of Poly(ethylene naphthalate) Synthesized by Solid-State Polycondensation

摘要

A low molecular weight prepolymer with reactive end groups was annealed at temperatures between 200 and 245degC to obtain kinetic parameters for solid-state polymerization of poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN). An equation was developed to , describe the relationships among time, temperature, and final molecular weight for PEN. The intrinsic viscosity and melting point during polymerization were used to monitor the molecular weight and the thermal stability of the resulting resins. The effect of moisture concentration on solid-state polymerization was also investigated. Hydrolytic degradation caused initial reductions of the molecular weight ifprepolymers were solid-stated without being dried. With increased exposure to solid-state condi- tions, however, the hydrolytically degraded resin dried and repolymerized at rates similar to those samples that had undergone hydrolysis.