BIODEGRADABLE ALIPHATIC/AROMATIC COPOLYESTERS BASED ON TEREPHTHALIC ACID AND POLY(L-LACTIC ACID):SYNTHESIS,CHARACTERIZATION AND HYDROLYTIC DEGRADATION

Biodegradable aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters, poly（butylene terephthalate-co-lactate） （PBTL） were prepared via direct melt polycondensation of terephthalic acid （TPA）, 1,4-butanediol （BDO） and poly（L-lactic acid） oligomer （OLLA）. The effects of polymerization time and temperature, as well as aliphatic/aromatic moiety ratio on the physical and thermal properties were investigated. The largest molecular weight of the copolyesters was up to 64100 with molecular weight distribution index of 2.09 when the polycondensation was carried out at 230℃ for 6 h. DSC, XRD, DMA and TGA analysis clearly indicated that the degree of crystallinity, glass-transition temperature, melting point, decomposition temperature, tensile strength, elongation and Young＇s modulus were influenced by the ratio between TPA and OLLA in the final copolyesters. Hydrolytic degradation results demonstrated that the incorporation of biodegradable lactate moieties into the aromatic polyester could efficiently improve hydrolytic degradability of the copolymer even though it still had many aromatic units in the main chains.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AROMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS WITH REGULAR SEQUENCE STRUCTURE

Several novel aromatic liquid crystalline copolyesters with regular sequence structure were prepared by melt Sehotten-Baumann polycondensation via complex monomer. Polarizing microscope with hot stage, thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the structure and properties of the copolyesters. The effects of structural units, such as flexible spacer, noncolinear meta-linked phenylene unit, crankshaft unit, kink with flexible bridging unit and various substituted benzene rings on melting temperature of aromatic copolyesters were studied and discussed on the basis of crystalline structure of the polymers.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MAIN CHAIN AROMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL COPOLYESTERS WITH X-SHAPED AND ROD-SHAPED MESOGENIC UNITS

A series of main chain liquid crystal aromatic copolyesters with X-shaped and rod-shaped mesogenic units were synthesized via solution condensation polymerizations of 4,4'-(alpha,omega-octanedioyloxy)-dibenzoyl dichlorides with 2,5-bis(p-octanoxy benzoyloxy)-hydroquinone and diphenol. All of the copolyesters showed thermotropic liquid crystalline behaviors through observations using DSC, polarized microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The melting point (T-m) and the isotropization temperature (T-i) change regularly with varying the content of diphenol unit in the copolymers.

Tribology of self-lubricating high performance ATSP,PI,and PEEK-based polymer composites up to 300℃

High-performance polymers(HPPs)are increasingly used in different industrial machinery components,particularly for rubbing parts that demand reliable and durable operation at extreme sliding conditions such as elevated temperature environments,where the use of conventional lubricants is not feasible.The current study investigates the role of environmental temperature on the tribological properties of three advanced HPPs,namely aromatic thermosetting copolyester(ATSP),polyimide(PI),and polyether ether ketone(PEEK)based polymer composites.Tribological experiments were carried out at different environmental temperatures from room temperature up to 300℃,and under dry sliding conditions.Specific attention was given to the role of temperature on the development of transfer films and its subsequent effect on the tribological performance.The ATSP composite was recommended as the best performing material,based on the overall tribological performance at all examined operating temperatures.