Chemical structure and thermal properties of polyesters based on renewable resources

The use of biomass based monomers in polymer chemistry is a significant driving force for the development of environmentally friendly technologies. In this area particularly interesting materials are polyesters for coating applications. Various types of polyesters based on renewable resources have been synthesized so far. Examples are polycondensation products of 1,3-propanediol[1] glycerol[2] or succinic acid[3]. Among a wide variety of monomers with natural origin 1,4;3,6-dianhydro-D-glucitol (isosorbide, IS) is a promising substrate for the synthesis of high Tg furnishing biobased polyesters[4].In the light of the reports concerning biomass based polymers, the scope of our research was the synthesis and molecular characterization of unsaturated polyesters derived from isosorbide, maleic anhydride and succinic acid. The investigated polyesters were obtained via solvent-free bulk polycondensation catalyzed by titanium(IV) n-butoxide. 2D NMR, MALDI-Tof-MS and FT-IR spectroscopy as well as TGA and DSC techniques were used for examination of the structure-properties relationship of the obtained products. Since the thermal properties of the hydroxyl functional polyesters were appropriate for coating applications, the polymers were successfully cross-linked with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, by radical copolymerization. The cross-linking process was studied using FT-IR spectroscopy and by measurements of the soluble part of the cured coatings.

1. Papageorgiou, G. Z.; Achilias, D. S.; Bikiaris, D. N., Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2009, 210, 90-107.
2. Kiyotsukuri, T.; Kanaboshi, M.; Tsutsumi, N., Polym. Int. 1994, 33, 1-8.
3. Lyoo, W. S.; Kim, J. H.; Yoon, W. S.; Ji, B. C.; Choi, J. H.; Cho, J.; Lee, J.; Yang, S. B.; Yoo, Y., Polymer 2000, 41, 9055-9062.
4. Noordover, B. A. J.; van Staalduinen, V. G.; Duchateau, R.; Koning, C. E.; Mak, M.; Heise, A.; Frissen, A. E.; van Haveren, J., Biomacromolecules 2006, 7, 3406-3416.