REACTIVE PROCESSING OF POLY(ETHYLENE 2,6-NAPHTHALENE DICARBOXYLATE) POLY(ETHYLENE-TEREPHTHALATE) BLENDS

Extrusion of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) blends results in transesterification reactions between the two polymers. In this study, the effects of blending time, temperature, blend composition and polyester catalyst on transesterification were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance, and rate constants and an activation energy for the process were determined. Over the ranges studied, the primary factors controlling the transesterification were the blending time and temperature, while the composition of the blend and the residual polyester catalysts had little or no effect on the interchange reactions. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry measurements demonstrated that transesterification led to the formation of a single amorphous phase.