Abstract

Incorporating renewable monomers derived from vanillic acid (VA) and syringic acid (SyA) into a polymer system will, in addition to reducing the amount of non-renewable feedstock necessary, alter the physical properties of the resultant polymer so that it can be better tailored to suit a specic need. First, a catalyst to optimize melt polymerization of 1,4-diacetoxybenzene (HQ), 4-acetoxybenzoic acid (BA), and dodecanedioic acid (DA) was determined. Acetylation of VA and SyA was necessary to produce compatible monomers. Then, two series of polymers based on HQ, BA, DA, and acetylated vanillic acid (AVA) or acetylated syringic acid (ASyA) were prepared by melt polycondensation. The polymers were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (1H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), polymer end-group titration (PEGT), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dierential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Changes in the amount and form of methoxy moieties, from the incorporation of AVA and ASyA, altered the thermal properties of the copolyester which could be applied to the development of better tailored products. The resulting aromatic/aliphatic copolyesters are resistant to typical organic solvents.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Copolymers--Synthesis; Acetylation

Publication Date

8-13-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Materials Science and Engineering (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

School of Chemistry and Materials Science (COS)

Advisor

Massoud J. Miri

Advisor/Committee Member

John-David R. Rocha

Advisor/Committee Member

Gerald A. Takacs

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at TP156.P6 B56 2015

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

MSENG-MS

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