PROCESSABILITY AND PROPERTIES OF ALIPHATIC POLYESTERS, BIONOLLE, SYNTHESIZED BY POLYCONDENSATION REACTION

Biodegradable aliphatic polyesters, trademarked 'BIONOLLE', such as po lybutylene succinate (#1000 series), polybutylene succinate adipate co polymer (#3000 series) and polyethylene succinate (tentatively #6000 s eries) with high molecular weights ranging from several tens of thousa nds to several hundreds of thousands were invented in 1990 and produce d successfully through polycondensation reaction of glycols with aliph atic dicarboxylic acids and others. A pilot plant with a capacity of 1 0 tons/year was built in 1991, and a semi-commercial plant with a capa city of 3000 tons/year was constructed in 1993. BIONOLLE is a white cr ystalline thermoplastic, has melting points ranging about 90 similar t o 120 degrees C, glass transition temperatures ranging about -45 simil ar to-10 degrees C and density about 1.25 g/cm(3). BIONOLLE has excell ent processability, so it can be processed on conventional equipment ( commonly used in processing polyolefins) at temperature of 160 similar to 200 degrees C into various molded products such as injected, extru ded and blown ones. A new grade of BIONOLLE (coded #1900 series), whic h has a long chain branch (LCB), high melt tension and high recrystall ization rate, has been developed, to enable stretched blown bottles an d highly expanded foams to be made easily (Fujimaki, T., SEN'I GAKKAIS HI, 1996, 52(8), 320). (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.