In polyesters synthesized from polyhydric alcohols with three hydroxyl groups or more, molecular weight distributions, branching, and end group structures depend on the amount and the kind of polyhydric alcohols. Therefore, it is necessary for us to investigate reactivity of polyhydric alcohols on the polycondensation and branching structures formed from the polyhydric alcohols in the polyesters. In order to determine reactivity of trimethylolpropane (TMP), pentaerythritol (PE), and glycerol (G) on the polycondensations, we analyzed processes quantitatively during polycondensations of adipic acid (AD) /1, 6-hexanediol (1, 6-HD) /TMP, PE, or G system by
13C NMR spectroscopy. For reactivity of the polyhydric alcohols with AD on esterifications (polycondensations), the following results were obtained. The reactivities of hydroxyl groups of the polyhydric alcohols increased in the following order : (low) G<PE<TMP<1, 6-HD (high). For TMP, reactivity of unreacted, monoesterified, and diesterified TMPs are similar. Similarly, for PE, reactivity of unreacted, monoesterified, diesterified, and triesterified PEs are similar. But, for G, reactivity of primary alcohol in G is about twice higher than that of secondary alcohol in G.
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