STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION ON PET AND PET XPHB COPOLYMERS/

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and its copolymers with p-hydroxybenz oic acid (PHB), PET/xPHB, were investigated Raman spectroscopically. O n the hand of the temperature dependent Raman spectra and the results received from measurements with varying amount of PHB, the influence o f the insertion of the PHB unit in the PET were discussed. Therefore, changes in I-he polymer chain itself as well as changes of the intermo lecular interactions can cause an change of the polarizability which i s represented as a change of the band intensities and widths of the ph enyl signals. Additionally, AM1 calculations were performed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.