PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A SOLID-STATE POLYMERIZED POLY(TETRAMETHYLENE-2,5-FURAN DICARBOXYLATE) POLYMER AND POLYMER THUS PRODUCED

摘要

A solid-state polymerized poly(tetramethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) polymer is produced in a process comprising: providing a poly (tetramethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) polycondensate having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of at least 10,000, as determined by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) using polystyrene as standard, and having a content of carboxylic acid end groups of at most 50 meq/kg; and keeping the poly(tetramethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) polycondensate at a temperature in the range of 80 to 140 °C to obtain a semi-crystalline polycondensate; and subjecting the semi-crystalline polycondensate to solid-state polymerization by keeping the semi-crystalline polycondensate at a temperature of at least 140 °C and below its melting point, whilst the semi-crystalline polycondensate is either under a flow of inert gas or under vacuum to obtain the solid-state polymerized poly(tetramethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) polymer.