Synthesis And Crystallization Behaviors Of Poly(Butylene Fumarate-Co-Hexameth-Ylene Fumarate) And Poly(Butylene Fuma-Rate) Act As Nucleating Agent For Several Copolymers In Their Blends

In this paper, fumaric acid,1,4-butanediol, and1,6-hexanediol were chosen as materials. Then, poly(butylene fumarate)(PBF), poly(hexamethylene fumarate)(PHF) and their copolymers (PBHF) were synthesized via two-step melting esterification condensation method. The polymer chain structure, crystallization behaviors, spherulites morphology, and crystalline structure were investigated by different methods.Samples were classified into three kinds:PBF, PHF, and their copolymers. Basic thermal properties were obtained via non-isothermal crystallization process, including melting point (Tm), non-siothermal crystallization temperature (Tp) and so on. They decreased with the increasing HF (BF) contents. In the isothermal crystallization process, the overall crystallization rates declined with the enhancing crystallization temperautre (TC) and HF (BF) contents, which did not affect the crystallization mechanism. The thermal stability of the copolymers of PBF was slightly higher than that of neat PBF, while that of the copolymers of PHF remained almost unchanged compared to neat PHF. The spherulites morphology of PBF, PHF, and their copolymers were observed by using polarization microscope (POM). Blank sections appeared in the samples of the copolymers of PBF and super high nucleation density was found in the samples of the copolymers of PHF. The crystalline structure and crystalline parameters of PBF, PHF, and their copolymers were studied by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD). The crystalline structure kept unchanged and the relative degree of crystallization went down slightly.PBES/PBF samples were prepared via a solution and casting method, while PBSA/PBF and PBSA/Talc samples were prepared by a melting extrusion method. The crystallization behaviors, spherulites morphology and crystalline structure were investigated to discuss the influence of PBF (Talc) and its contents on them. The Tp values went up when adding PBF (Talc) into PBSA and they enhanced with the increasing PBF (Talc) contents. In the isothermal crystallization process, the crystallization rates were reduced in the high Tc values. Given a Tc value, the rates of the blends were greater than that of the matrix and increased with the increasing contents. The spherulites morphology was studied by POM. We intuitively observed the heterogeneous nucleation effect of PBF (Talc) which acted as nucleating agent in the matrix. The mentioned effect of PBF was more intense than that of Talc. From the WXRD pattern, PBF hardly change the crystalline structure of PBES and its relative degree of crystallization.