Cross-Linking of Poly(butylene terephthalate) by Reactive Extrusion Using Zn(II) Epoxy-Vitrimer Chemistry

Réticulation du poly(téréphtalate de butylène) par extrusion réactive en utilisant la chimie époxy-vitrimère catalysée par le Zn(II).

Adrien Demongeot (1) , Ramon Groote (2) , Han Goossens (2) , Theo Hoeks (2) , Francois Tournilhac (1) , Ludwik Leibler (1)

1 MMC - Laboratoire Matière Molle et Chimie
2 SABIC

Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) vitrimers were prepared by reactive extrusion from industrial PBT thermoplastics using Zn(II)-catalyzed addition and transesterification chemistry. PBT thermoplastics are characterized by a high degree of crystallinity, high melting temperature and high crystallization rate, but right above their melting temperature their mechanical resistance disappear and they show a tendency to drip. We compared-OH and-COOH end-group additions on epoxies in the presence of two different catalysts, 2-methyl imidazole (2-MI) and zinc acetyl acetonate (Zn(acac) 2). With 2-MI, chain extension reactions were efficiently catalyzed in a few minutes at 270 °C but no gelation was observed. With Zn(acac) 2 ,-COOH addition and transesterification led to efficient cross-linking within a few minutes at 270 °C. Such cross-linked material combines the crystalline properties of PBT and dimensional stability above the melting temperature. PBT materials cross-linked through epoxy-vitrimer chemistry are not soluble. However, compared with radiation cross-linked PBT, vitrimer PBT is processable and can be reshaped and recycled.-2

Domaines: Polymères

Adrien Demongeot, Ramon Groote, Han Goossens, Theo Hoeks, Francois Tournilhac, et al.. Cross-Linking of Poly(butylene terephthalate) by Reactive Extrusion Using Zn(II) Epoxy-Vitrimer Chemistry. Macromolecules, 2017, 50 (16), pp.6117-6127. ⟨10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01141⟩. ⟨hal-02396998⟩