EFFECT OF CATALYST ON THE REACTIVE PROCESSING OF POLYESTERS WITH EPOXY-FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS

The objective this work was to determine the effects of selected polyester catalysts on the reaction of a polyester with epoxy functional polymers. Polyesters containing various catalyst metals were melt blended with either an ethylene-co-glycidyl methacrylate or a styrene-co-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer. The viscosities of the blends were monitored as a function of mixing time using torque rheometry. In addition, the molecular weight distributions of selected samples were analyzed using gel permeation chromatography. Both the torque rheometry and the gel permeation chromatography results indicate that the polyester reacts with epoxy functional polymers. This reaction occurs under conditions and at processing times which are readily obtainable in conventional melt processing equipment. Furthermore, the reaction kinetics of polyesters with glycidyl methacrylate copolymers are dramatically affected by the nature of the catalyst system used to prepare the polyester. Under the conditions used, antimony catalysts are particularly effective at promoting the reaction between polyesters and the epoxy functionality and the activity of the catalysts studied appears to decrease in the following order: antimony > gallium > tin = titanium > germanium. Manipulation of the polyester catalyst system may offer a method to control the extent of reaction obtained in reactive processing of polyesters with epoxy functional compounds.