Synthesis And Characterization Of Bio-Based Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomers Containing Furan Rings

Thermoplastic elastomers,possessing the characteristic of both rubber and plastic,are a new kind of polymer materials.Owing to the unrenewable of fossil fuels and a series of resources and environmental problems,it is essential to develop the bio-based thermoplastic elastomers to substitute the petroleum-based thermoplastic elastomers.The presently bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomers behave lower strength and modulus than traditional petroleum-based thermoplastic elastomer,owing to the lack of terephthalic acid ester as the hard segment.Therefore,develop a all bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomers containing bio-based cyclic monomers in its hard segment,which performs high strength and modulus are of great significance for saving petroleum resources and protecting the environment.In this paper,the biomass monomer 1,2-propanediol,1,4-butanediol,succinic acid and sebacic acid were used as raw materials to prepare the polyester soft segment by esterifica tion polycondensation reaction.1,4-butanediol and dimethyl 2,5-furandicarboxylate were used as raw materials to prepare a hard segment of polyester by transesterification and polycondensation.Finally,a series of bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomers are prepared by chain extension reaction of the polyester soft segment and the polyester hard segment.The molecular weight and its distribution and molecular structure of the polyester soft segment and hard segment were characterized by gel permeation chromatography(GPC),fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(~1HNMR).Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and polarized light microscopy(POM)were used to characterize the thermal properties,crystallization properties and two-phase structure of polyester soft segments,polyester hard segments and bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomers.Dynamic thermomechanical analysis(DMA),thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),tensile and hardness tests were adopted to present the dynamic mechanical properties,thermal stability and mechanical properties of bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomers.The results were shown that the bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomer is composed of polyester hard and softe segment,which is a two-phase separation structure.The bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomer containing 60wt%hard segment behaves elastomeric tensil properties without yielding,exhibiting15.3MPa of tensile strength and 635%of the elongation at break.Bio-based thermoplastic polyester elastomer also has good thermal stability and the initial thermal decomposition temperature is higher than 340°C.