A review of the catalytic preparation of mesophase pitch

Because of its high purity and excellent orientation, mesophase pitch is a superior precursor for high-performance car-bon materials. However, the preparation of top-notch mesophase pitch faces challenges. Catalytic polycondensation at low temperat-ures is more favorable for synthesizing mesophase pitch, because it circumvents the high-temperature free radical reaction of other thermal polycondensation approaches. The reaction is gentle and can be easily controlled. It has the potential to significantly im-prove the yield of mesophase pitch and easily introduce naphthenic characteristics into the molecules, catalytic polycondensation is therefore a preferred method of synthesizing highly spinnable mesophase pitch. This review provides a synopsis of the selective pre-treatment of the raw materials to prepare different mesophase pitches, and explains the reaction mechanism and associated research advances for different catalytic systems in recent years. Finally, how to manufacture high-quality mesophase pitch by using a cata-lyst-promoter system is summarized and proposed, which may provide a theoretical basis for the future design of high-quality pitch molecules.

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Hydrolytically Degradable Polyesters

Six novel hydrolytically degradable polyesters were synthesized from thiodipropionic acid(TDPA)and five diols by melt polycondensation,and characterized by FT-IR,1H NMR,gel permeation chromatography,differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry analysis.The polystyrene-equivalent number-average(Mn)and weight-average molecular weight(Mw)of these polyesters ranged from 4900-11100 Da and 7900-20879 Da,respectively,with PDI values of 1.48-1.98.The melting point varied from 62.3-127.9℃,and the 50%mass-loss temperature ranged between 387-417℃.The degradation of these polyesters was studied in terms of relative weight loss in distilled water at different pH.Weight losses of 14%-26%were obtained at pH 7.0,26%-38%at pH 6.0,and 32%-43%at pH 8.3 over a 20-week period.The ecotoxicity study suggested that safety of the synthesized polyesters for the eisenia foetida.These results indicate that these polyesters have a combination of good thermal and degradability behaviors,which can be tailored through selection of the diol monomers used in the synthesis.

Numerical investigation of film forming characteristics and mass transfer enhancement in horizontal polycondensation kettle

The process of producing high viscosity polyester by transesterification polycondensation needs to adjust the operating conditions and equipment structure of pre-polycondensation kettle and final polycondensation kettle to realize process intensification.In view of this,the fluid volume function method of computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation was used to investigate the film formation and surface renewal characteristics of horizontal polycondensation kettle under different operating conditions,including viscosity,rotating speed and liquid height.The results show that the viscosity and rotating speed were positively correlated with the film area and surface renewal in the pre-polycondensation stage.However,increasing the viscosity by several orders of magnitude in the final polycondensation kettle,the larger the film area and film thickness,but the overall surface renewal of the disk decreased.Therefore,a hexagonal hole disk is designed.By comparison,it is found that the film is more uniform,the surface update frequency is higher,and the power consumption can be reduced by more than 20%.

Synthesis,Characterization and Water Absorption Analysis of Highly Hygroscopic Bio-based Co-polyamides 56/66

This study aims to develop highly hygroscopic bio-based co-polyamides(CPs)by melt co-polycondensation of polyamide(PA)56 salt and PA66 salt with varying molar fractions.The functional groups and the chemical structure of the prepared samples were determined by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance(^(1)H-NMR)spectroscopy.The relative viscosity was determined with an Ubbelohde viscometer.The melting behavior and the thermal stability of CPs were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA).Furthermore,the water absorption behavior of CP hot-pressed film was studied.The results reveal that the melting point,the crystallization temperature and the crystallinity of CPs firstly decrease and then increase with the molar fraction of PA66 in CPs.The copolymerization of PA56 with PA66 leads to an obvious increase in water absorption.The CPs with PA66 molar fraction of 50%possess a high saturated water absorption rate of 17.6%,compared to 11.6%for pure PA56 and 7.8%for pure PA66.

Synthesis of isosorbide-based polycarbonates via melt polycondensation catalyzed by quaternary ammonium ionic liquids

A series of quaternary ammonium ionic liquids(ILs)were synthesized and employed as catalysts for the production of poly(isosorbide carbonate)(PIC)from diphenyl carbonate and isosorbide via a melt polycondensation process.The relationship between the anions of the ILs and the catalytic activities was investigated,and the readily‐prepared IL tetraethylammonium imidazolate(TEAI)was found to exhibit the highest catalytic activity.After optimizing the reaction conditions,a PIC with a weight‐average molecular weight(Mw)of25600g/mol was obtained,in conjunction with an isosorbide conversion of92%.As a means of modifying the molecular flexibility and thermal properties of the PIC,poly(aliphatic diol‐co‐isosorbide carbonate)s(PAIC)s were successfully synthesized,again using TEAI,and polymers with Mw values ranging from29000to112000g/mol were obtained.13C NMR analyses determined that the PAIC specimens had random microstructures,while differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that each of the PAICs were amorphous and had glass transition temperatures ranging from50to115°C.Thermogravimetric analyses found Td‐5%values ranging from316to332°C for these polymers.Based on these data,it is evident that the incorporation of linear or cyclohexane‐based diol repeating units changed the thermal properties of the PIC.

HEAT-RESISTANT,PYRIDINE-BASED POLYAMIDES CONTAINING ETHER AND ESTER UNITS WITH IMPROVED SOLUBILITY

A diamine containing ether and ester units, as basic monomer for the preparation of polyamides, was prepared via three consecutive reactions. Nucleophilic substitution reaction of 1,4-dihydroxy benzene with 4-nitrobenzoyl chloride produced 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-nitrobenzoate （HPNB）. Reduction of nitro groups to amino groups using Fe and HC1 resulted in preparation of 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-aminobenzoate （HPAB）. The diamine was synthesized through nucleophilic substitution reaction of HPAB with 2,6-dichloropyridine. The precursors and diamine were fully characterized by common methods, and the diamine was polycondensed with different diacid chlorides in the presence of an acid scavenger to prepare new polyamides. The polyamides were characterized, and their physical properties including thermal stability and behavior, inherent viscosity and solubility were studied.

Preparation and Characterization of Microencapsulated Hexadecane Used for Thermal Energy Storage

Polyurea microcapsules about 2.5 μm in diameter containing phase change material for thermal energy storage application were synthesized and characterized by interfacial polycondensation method with toluene-2,4-diisocyanate and ethylenediamine as monomers in an emulsion system. Hexadecane was used as a phase change material and OP, which is nonionic surfactant, and used as an emulsifier. The chemical structure and thermal behavior of the microcapsules were investigated by FTIR and thermal analysis respectively. The results show encapsulated hexadecane has a good potential as a solar energy storage material.

Polycondensation reaction and its mechanism during lignocellulosic liquefaction by an acid catalyst: a review

The increase in the residue content resulting from polycondensation would be adverse to the utilization of lignocellulose and to the quality of products obtained from liquefied lignocellulosic material.The yield of the residue formed from liquefaction and the mechanism of polycondensation were reported mainly by Lin,Yamada and Kobayashi.The major products of cellulosic liquefaction are levulinic acid and hydroxymethylfurfural（HMF） derivatives under polyhydric alcohols and phenolated compounds under phenols.The cleavage of the β-O-4 bonds is the major reaction pathway of lignin liquefaction under various liquefying reagents regardless of whether they contain acid catalysts or not.The break up compounds by decomposition are polymerized to substances with high molecular weight by polycondensation in lignocellulosic liquefaction.The molecular weight of condensed residues increases almost linearly as a function of liquefaction time at the later stage of lignocellulosic liquefaction.The longer the time required,the greater the content of new residue generated by polycondensation during the entire process of liquefaction.We conclude that the condensed residues may stem from the interaction of degraded lignin and cellulose components in wood or from the products of two major components reacting with liquefying reagents.

SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLY(LACTIC ACID) AND ITS RESULTANT FIBERS

Direct melt/solid polycondensation of lactic acid(LA)was carried out to obtain high molecular weight poly(lactic acid)(PLA)by a process using various catalysts in the first-step melt polycondensation,and followed solid polycondensation by using p-toulenesulfonic acid monohydrate(TSA)as the catalyst in the second step.Effects of various catalysts and reaction temperature on the molecular weight and crystallinity of resulting PLA polymers were examined.It was shown that SnCl_2·2H_2O/TSA,SnCl_2·2H_2O/succinic ...

Fragrant Microcapsules Based onβ-Cyclodextrin for Cosmetotextile Application

Microencapsulation of neroline inside microcapsules having a polyurethane shell based onβ-cyclodextrin(β-CD)and hexane diisocyanate was performed by interfacial polycondensation.The polyol nature ofβ-CD caused tight crosslinking of microcapsules wall.Microcapsules of neroline were characterized for their chemical composition and structure of the polyurethane shell by FTIR spectroscopy,thermogravimetric analysis,optical and electron microscopy,light scattering and electrophoresis measurements.Core content and encapsulation yield were 15%and 60%,respectively.Spherical microcapsules of mean diameter 29μm were slightly cationic with an isoelectric point of 6.3.Neroline-loaded microcapsules were fixed on cotton fabric using an impregnation technique.The functionalized fabric showed improved resistance to washing cycles in comparison with previously reported diol-based microcapsules.Such microcapsules display great potential for the long-lasting release of fragrance in the framework of cosmetotextile.

Effect of Hyperbranched Poly(amine-ester) Grafted Nano-SiO_2 on Reinforcement and Toughness of PVC

Nano-SiO2 was modified using silane coupling agent （KH-550） and hyperbranched poly（amine-ester） respectively, and Poly（vinyl chloride） （PVC）/modified nano-SiO2 composites were made by melt-blending. The composites＇ structures andmechanical properties were characterized by transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, sanning electronic microscopy（SEM） and electronic universal testing machine. The results. show that nano-SiO2 grafted by hyperbranched poly （amine-ester） increases obviously in dispersion in PVC matrix, and mechanical properties of PVC are effectively improved. Moreover, it was found that mechanical properties of PVC/nano-SiO2 composites reach the best when weight percent of nano-SiO2 in PVC matrix is 1%. Compared with crude PVC, the tensile strength of hyperbranched poly （amine-ester） grafted nano-SiO2/ PVC composite increases by 24.68 % and its break elongation, flexural strength and impact strength increase by 15.73%, 4.07% and 1 841.84%, respectively. Moreover, the processing of the composites is improved.

High-efficiency acetaldehyde removal during solid-state polycondensation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) assisted by supercritical carbon dioxide

The concentration of acetaldehyde(AA) is the main quality index of poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) used in food and drink packaging.A new method for AA removal has been developed by using supercritical carbon dioxide(sc CO2) during the solid-state polycondensation of PET.The influence factors of AA removal including the temperature,pressure,reaction time and the size of pre-polymer particles are systematically studied in this work.The results indicate that it is a highly efficient way to obtain high molecular weight PET with relative low concentration of AA.Correspondingly,the polymerization degree of PET could increase from 27.9 to 85.6 while the concentration of AA reduces from 0.229 × 10^(-6) to 0.055 × 10^(-6) under the optimal operation conditions of 230 °C,8 MPa and size of 0.30–0.45 mm.Thermodynamic performance tests show the increasing extent of PET crystallinity due to the fact that the plasticization of sc CO_2 is not obvious with extended reaction time,therefore the increasing crystallinity has no significant influence on AA removal.SEM observations reveal that the effects of sc CO_(2-) induced plasticization and swelling on PET increase significantly with the decrease of prepolymer size,and the surface of PET becomes more loose and porous in favor of the AA removal.

SYNTHESIS OF POLY(SILPHENYLENE-SILOXANE) THROUGH DEHYDROCARBON POLYCONDENSATION OF 1,4-BIS(DIMETHYLSILYL)BENZENE AND DIALKOXYSILANE

Poly(silphenylene-siloxane)s had been synthesized through dehydrocarbon polycondensation of 1,4- bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene(BDSB)and dialkoxysilane.The polymer composition and structure was characterized by ^(29)Si-NMR.The influence of temperature,B(C_6F_5)_3 concentration and monomer structure on the composition and the microstructure of the copolymers were investigated.It shows that elevating reaction temperature or using substrate (R O)_2R_2R_1Si with bulk organic group of R_1 or R_2 augments the run numb...

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters/nano-SiO_2 hybrids via in situ melt polycondensation

In situ melt polycondensation was proposed to prepare biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters/nano-SiO2 hybrids based on terephthalic acid （TPA）, poly（L-lactic acid） oligomer （OLLA）, 1,4-butanediol （BDO） and nano-SiO2. TEM and FT-IR characterizations confirmed that TPA, OLLA and BDO copolymerized to obtain biodegradable copolyesters, poly（butylene terepbthalate-co-lactate） （PBTL）, and the abundant hydroxyl groups on the surface of nano-SiO2 provided potential sites for in situ grafting with the simultaneous resulted PBTL. The nano-SiO2 particles were chemically wrapped with PBTL to form PBTL/nano- SiO2 hybrids. Due to the good dispersion and interfacial adhesion of nano-SiO2 particles with the copolyester matrix, the tensile strength and the Young＇s modulus increased from 5.4 and 5.6 MPa for neat PBTL to 16 and 390 MPa for PBTL/nano-SiO2 hybrids with 5 wt.% nano-SiO2, respectively. The mechanical properties of PBTL/nano-SiO2 hybrids were substantially improved.

Synthesis of Poly[2,2'-(m-phenylene)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole] and Poly(2,5-benzimidazole) by Microwave Irradiation

A rapid way assisted by microwave irradiation was proposed to synthesize poly[2,2＇-（m-phenylene）-5,5＇-bibenzimidazole]（PBI） and poly（2,5-benzimidazole）（ab-PBI）.Synthesis of PBI in polyphosphoric acid is conducted for 20 h or even more.Under microwave irradiation,the polycondensations could be completed in polyphosphoric acid within 3 h from 3,3＇-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride（DAB·4HCl·2H2O） and isophthalic acid for PBI,and from 3,4-diaminobenzoic acids（DABA） for ab-PBI,respectively.The conditions for the polymerization including the power of microwave irradiation,temperature,heating time,and concentrations of the reactants in polyphosphoric acid were optimized.The inherent viscosity of the polymers in concentrated sulfuric acid at 30 ℃ was 0.9766 dL/g for PBI,and 0.6480 dL/g for ab-PBI,respectively.Characterization of the polymer products was made by nuclear magnetic resonance（1^H NMR）,Fourier transform infrared spectra（FTIR） and thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GRAFT COPOLYMERS BASED ON POLY(p-PHENYLENE TEREPHTHALAMIDE) BACKBONE AND WELL-DEFINED POLYSTYRENE SIDE CHAINS

A novel dualfunctional monomer, 2-（2＇,2＇,6＇,6＇-tetramethyl-piperidinyl-1＇-oxy）methylbenzene-1,4-dioyl chloride hydrochloride, with two acid chloride groups for step-growth polymerization and a nitroxide group for the mediation of living radical polymerization was synthesized. It was first copolymerized with terephthaloyl chloride and p- phenylenediamine at a feed molar ratio of 1：3：4 in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone containing 10 wt% calcium chloride at -10℃ to yield a poly（p-phenylene terephthalamide） based macroinitiator, which initiated radical polymerization of styrene at 125℃ to obtain a series of poly（p-phenylene terephthalamide）-g-polystyrenes. A combinatory analysis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elementary analysis, thermogravimetry and gel permeation chromatography indicated that the macroinitiator induced the radical polymerization of styrene to proceed in a well- controlled way. The molecular weight of side-chains increased with an increase of monomer conversion, and the molecular weight distribution index remained lower than 1.5. The graft copolymers showed a remarkably improved solubility in N- methyl-2-pyrrolidone and much depressed crystallinity in bulk.

Synthesis and Structure of Butylene Terephthalate-ε-Caprolactone Copolyesters

A series of butylene terephthalate-E-caprolactone copolyesters (BCL) with different hard segment content were successfully synthesized and characterized by 1H-NMR. DSC. PLM and U viscometer, The sequence structure and crystallization characteristics of BCL copolyesters were carefully investigated.

The Role of Surfactant and Costabilizer in Controlling Size of Nanocapsules Containing TEGDMA in Miniemulsion

Nanocapsules with triethylene glycol dimethacrylate （TEGDMA） as core material and polyurethane as wall material used for self-healing bonding resin were prepared by interfacial polycondensation in miniemulsion. The influence of surfactant and costabilizer concentration on nanocapsules size and stability of nanocapsules was investigated. The size and its polydispersity of the nanocapsules were measured by light-scattering particle size analyzer. When the concentration of SDS were increased from 2.5wt% to 10wt%,the size decreases from 340.5 nm to 258.3 nm, PDI decreased from 0.210 to 0.111. As the concentration of HD increased, the size and PDI were both decreased, When reaching 10wt%,the size was 258.0 nm,PDI was 0.130. SDS and HD play important effect in synthesis of Nanocapsules containing TEGDMA.By changing the surfactant and costabilizer concentration it was possible to synthesize a wide variety of nanocapsules sizes. The performance and technical parameters of nanocapsules had been researched preliminarily, which built the solid foundation for the application to the self-repairing bonding resin.

Synthesis and Properties of Non-isocyanate Crystallizable Aliphatic Thermoplastic Polyurethanes

A simple non-isocyanate route synthesizing thermoplastic polyurethanes（TPUs） with good thermal and mechanical properties is described. Melt transurethane polycondensation of dimethyl 1,6-hexamethylene dicarbamate with 1,4-butanediol and 1,6-hexanediol was conducted at different molar ratios under the catalysis of tetrabutyl titanate. A series of crystallizable non-isocyanate TPUs with high molecular weight were prepared. The TPUs were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, FT-IR, 1 H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide angle X-ray diffraction, AFM, and tensile tests. The TPUs exhibited Mn ranging from 12 500 to 26 400 g/mol, Mw from 16 700 to 56 400 g/mol, Tm up to 151.4 °C, and initial decomposition temperature over 241.8 °C. Their tensile strength reached 42.99 MPa with a strain at break of 30.00%. TPUs constructed simply with butylene, hexylene, and urethane linkages were successfully synthesized through a non-isocyanate route.

Preparation and Characterization of Urea-formaldehyde Resin/reactive Montmorillonite Composites

The urea-formaldehyde resin/reactive montmorillonite composites were prepared by in situ polymerization. The reactive montmorillonite was prepared firstly by being ion exchanged with organic molecules and secondly by being grafted with silane coupling agent, which could be demonstrated by X-ray diffraction（XRD） and thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）. Scanning electron microscopy（SEM） revealed that the morphology of the urea-formaldehyde resin/reactive montmorillonite composites were ellipsoid or columnar particles. Energy dispersive spectrometry（EDS） confirmed that the reactive montmorillonite was encapsulated by urea-formaldehyde resin. Differential scanning calorimetry（DSC） indicated that curing process of the ureaformaldehyde resin/reactive montmorillonite composites consumed more energy than pure urea-formaldehyde resin. Thermogravimetric analysis（TGA） showed that the thermal stability of the urea-formaldehyde resin/reactive montmorillonite composites improved compared to pure urea-formaldehyde resin. Furthermore, the reactive montmorillonites reduced the formaldehyde emission of the composites and increased the water resistance. Finally, the mechanism to prepare the urea-formaldehyde resin/reactive montmorillonite composites was proposed.