Effects of Fiber Spinning on the Morphology, Rheology, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties of Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Blends

Abstract

The morphology, thermal behavior, rheological, and mechanical properties of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) blend fibers were investigated. The scanning electron microscopy studies revealed the formation of a microfibrillar network of the PET within the PTT matrix after the fiber-spinning process. Differential scanning calorimetry results demonstrated that although the thermal characteristics of the amorphous phase were unaffected by the fiber-spinning process, the melting and crystallization behavior of the blends was altered by the elongation flow imposed during the melt spinning. The viscoelastic behavior of the PTT/PET blends was also studied by a steady shear rate and dynamic sweep rheological experiments before and after the spinning process. The induced morphology and crystallization reordering resulting from the fibrillation process are shown to have a remarkable effect on the complex viscosity profile of the PTT/PET fibers, particularly in the blend containing 30 wt% PET. The mechanical testing showed that tenacity and Young's modulus of the PTT fibers increased with the addition of PET up to 30 wt%. C

Cost-Effective Sustainable Synthesis of High-Performance High-Molecular-Weight Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) by Eco-Friendly and Highly Active Ti/Mg Catalysts

“…The high extensibility of PTT fiber makes it a promising candidate as elastic fiber. For its high cost, PTT is often blended with other polymers including PET, polypropylene, or polyamide. − DuPont offers a LYCRA brand product called T400 using side-by-side conjugation spinning of PTT and PET. Besides, PTT demonstrates good performance in engineering plastic application.…”

“…As a result, the cost of producing PTT is considerably higher than that of PET. Efficient catalyst is a key factor in economic synthesis of PTT and other polymers and various attempts have been made to achieve high molecular weight with improved catalysts. − Titanium catalysts including titanium dioxide and titanate are most studied for PTT synthesis. − ,,− Titanium dioxide and its modifiers were first used in PTT synthesis. Their catalytic activity is highly depending on the particle size and molecular structure.…”