Furfural-Based Modification of PET for UV-Blocking Copolymers with Decreased Oxygen Permeability

Abstract

Bifuran-5,5′-dicarboxylic acid (BFDCA), a highly promising biobased diacid monomer, was used to modify poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) to obtain copolyesters with increased biocarbon content and improved properties compared with PET. Antimony-catalyzed copolymerization of the bifuran and terephthalate 2-hydroxyethyl esters was used to afford the PETBF copolymers. When compared against PET, these random copolymers with 5, 10, or 15 mol % of the bifuran comonomer in the feed (relative to the total amount of the starting esters) showed a slightly elevated glass transition range, higher tensile moduli, enhanced oxygen gas barrier properties, and superior UV blocking while maintaining good transparency otherwise. Based on our results, PETBF copolyesters seem to have promise as materials with enhanced properties that are desirable in advanced packaging applications.

Renewable Furfural-Based Polyesters Bearing Sulfur-Bridged Difuran Moieties with High Oxygen Barrier Properties

“… 24 Moreover, PEBF as well as other BFDCA-based polyesters may not only have good gas barrier performance but also intrinsic UV screening up to 400 nm. 24 − 26 …”

“…Regarding applications of furfural in similar materials, attention has been focused on the study of 2,2′-bifuran-5,5′-dicarboxylic acid (BFDCA), the bifuran homologue of FDCA. BFDCA has been utilized as a monomer to synthesize novel bio-based polymers such as polyamides, polyesters, − and resins. Interestingly, BFDCA-based poly­(ethylene bifuranoate) (PEBF) has higher glass-transition temperature ( T g ) than its counterparts PET and PEF polymers (Table ). Moreover, PEBF as well as other BFDCA-based polyesters may not only have good gas barrier performance but also intrinsic UV screening up to 400 nm. − …”

Photo-responsive liquid crystalline polymer from a renewable furfural derivative of dimethyl 2,5-furandicarboxylate via catalytic carbonylative esterification

“…This cold-crystallization behavior is similar to that of PET 90 BF 10 containing bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate and bifuran units. 29…”

“…This cold-crystallization behavior is similar to that of PET 90 BF 10 containing bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate and bifuran units. 29 Also, polarized optical microscopy (POM) has been employed to determine whether the birefringence occurs in liquid crystals. Fig.…”

“…27 Poly(ethylene terephthalate- co -bifuranoate)s with a high tensile modulus and low oxygen permeability have been achieved by copolymerization. 29 On the other hand, the introduction of stimuli-responsive groups into furan-based polymers can endow them with more functional behaviors. Stimuli-responsive polymers can respond to external stimuli including temperature, light and magnetic field.…”