Synthesis and Thermal Behavior of Polyesters Derived from 1,3‐Propanediol and Various Aromatic Dicarboxylic Acids

Seven aromatic dicarboxylic acids were esterified by melt polycondensation in two steps with 1,3‐propanediol (1,3‐PDO) in the presence of tetrabutoxytitanium as catalyst. The acids used were: terephthalic (TPA), isophthalic (IPA), naphthalene‐2,6‐dicarboxylic (2,6‐NDA), naphthalene‐1,4‐dicarboxylic (1,4‐NDA), biphenyl‐4,4′‐dicarboxylic (4,4′‐BPDA), diphenylsulfone‐4,4′‐dicarboxylic (4,4′‐DPSDA), and pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid (2,6‐PDA). In the first step, the esterification reaction was monitored, by measuring the distilled water. The prepared oligomers were polycondensated in a second step under high vacuum using the same catalyst as before. The received poly(propylene dicarboxylate)s were characterized by viscometry, carboxyl end‐group content (CC), color measurement, and were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). From this study, the above polyesters could be classified to three classes: (a) easily crystallizing polyesters derived from TPA and 2,6‐PDA, (b) slow crystallizing polyesters derived from IPA and 2,6‐NDA, and (c) amorphous polyesters derived from 1,4‐NDA, 4,4′‐BPDA, and 4,4′‐DPSDA.