Enhancing the crystallinity and heat resistance of poly(ethylene terephthalate) using ZnCl₂‐ionized polyamide‐66 as a heterogeneous nucleator

Abstract

To achieve the maximal improvement in the crystallization rate and heat resistance of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), 2.6 mol% of ZnCl2 ionized polyamide (PA)‐66 (PA‐66–Zn), with a strong coordination ability, is prepared and used as PET nucleator. This study found that the PA‐66–Zn heterogeneously nucleates PET more effectively than the CaCl2‐ionized PA‐66 and non‐ionized PA‐66 by differential scanning calorimetry, crystallization kinetics, X‐ray diffraction, and polarized optical microscopy. This is probably a result of the introduction of stronger ion–dipole interactions (IDIs) between the PET esters and the ionized‐PA‐66 ZnCl2‐coordinating amides, which obviously heightens the PET/PA‐66–Zn interfacial compatibility. As shown by scanning electron microscopy, the compatibilization through an appropriate concentration of IDIs promotes the formation of smaller and denser PA‐66 crystals with immensely increased nucleator efficiency. Furthermore, the PET/PA‐66–Zn with significantly improved crystallinity displays a remarkable increase in heat‐resistant temperature, at 21.6 and 55.1°C higher than that of PET/PA‐66 and PET, respectively. The results demonstrate that the PA‐66–Zn can act as a superior nucleator and as an outstanding heat‐resistant agent for PET.

Bio‐Based Copolyester PEIFT: Enhanced Hydrophilicity, Rigidity, and Applications in Nanofibers

“…[4,5] Meanwhile, PET has poor heat resistance, and the most effective method to enhance its heat resistance is through copolymerization. [6][7][8][9] According to previous studies, the enhancement of heat resistance depends on improving rigidity and crystallization. [10][11][12] To enhance the heat resistance of PET through copolymerization, it is suitable to incorporate cyclic bio-based monomers as comonomers.…”

Rapid Crystallization and Fluorescence of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Using Graphene Quantum Dots as Nucleating Agents

“…Researchers have focused on adding small amounts (≤5.0 wt%) of heterogeneous nucleating agents [9], such as inorganic nucleating agents like silica [10,11], boron nitride [1], graphene [12,13], and clay [14,15], which significantly improve PET's crystallization rate. However, these nucleating agents are not compatible with the PET matrix, making it difficult to disperse uniformly in the matrix.…”