Mechanical characteristics of modified unsaturated polyester resins derived from poly(ethylene terephthalate) waste

The depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), by an alcoholysis reaction is an easy operation and gives prospects for the utilization of wastes. PET waste was first depolymerized by glycolysis reaction at three different molar ratios of diethylene glycol (DEG), in the presence of manganese acetate as a transesterification catalyst. Copolyesters of PET modified with varied mole ratios of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) were reported to exhibit excellent mechanical and chemical properties due to their liquid crystalline behaviour. Here we study the effect of incorporating (PHBA) units into the building structures of different unsaturated polyesters synthesized originally from glycolysed PET waste. Modified unsaturated polyesters were synthesized by depolymerizing PET with DEG, and the obtained oligoesters were reacted with PHBA and maleic anhydride (MA). The molar ratio of the added PHBA was varied to investigate its effect on the mechanical characteristics of these modified unsaturated polyesters. The data obtained reveal that increasing the molar ratio of PHBA within the studied range of concentrations leads to a pronounced improvement in the mechanical characteristics, which is represented mainly by the values of/maximum compression strength (sigma(max)) and Young's modulus (E-Y). (C) 2002 Society of Chemical Industry.