Strukturuntersuchung von Polyestern durch direkten Abbau im massenspektrometer, 5. Polyester aus Terephthalsäure und/oder Bernsteinsäure und Hydrochinon

The structure and thermal degradation behaviour of polyesters from terephthalic and/or succinic acid and hydroquinone were investigated by pyrolysis mass spectrometry. Poly(oxysuccinyloxy‐1,4‐phenylene) (2) undergoes cleavage of the ester bond (Eq. (vii)) as a very selective pyrolysis mechanism at 310°C, whereas the thermally more stable poly(oxyterephthaloyloxy‐1,4‐phenylene) (1) starts to degrade above 400°C and yields pyrolysis products with phenyl (Eq. (iv)), p‐hydroxyphenyl (Eq. (iii)), benzoyl (Eq. (iiv)) and carboxylic end groups. A calibration curve of the intensities of monomer specific fragments, obtained from pyrolysis mass spectra of polyesters from terephthalic acid, succinic acid, and hydroquinone provides the exact determination of their compositions.