Effect of composition on molecular alignment in polyethylene terephthalate copolymers

Abstract

In this study molecular alignment in copolymers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB) was examined by means of differential radial distribution function (DRDF) analysis of wide angle X-ray scattering data. The study was carried out using two representative copolymers with the PHB content of 30 and 60 mol%. The DRDF curves for the amorphous and the partially crystalline samples of these copolymers showed periodic intermolecular peaks up to various radial distances. The appearance of these peaks at ~5 A periodicity suggested the existence of more-or-less parallel chain segments in the copolymers. The extent of the lateral molecular organization was ~15 and 30 A for the amorphous copolymers containing 30 and 60 mol% PHB, respectively. A substantial structural difference was therefore shown for the copolymers in this composition range. The DRDF curve for the amorphous copolymer with 30 mol% PHB was found to be very similar to that for the previously reported glassy PET with 0 mol% PHB, indicating that the two materials had almost the same intermolecular structure. The structural information revealed by these DRDF results was in agreement with the various property changes caused by varying PHB contents of the copolymers.