The Preparation of Branched Copolyesters from Castor Oil as an Initiator

Abstract

Using renewable feedstocks, such as biomass, for the production of polymers can have both environmental and economic benefits. The goal of this project was to synthesize the renewable copolymers from monomer l-lactide and castor oil as an initiator. In sample formulation the mass ratio of the monomer to the initiator was in the range from 4,53 to 21,5. The ring-opening polymerization was carried in a microwave reactor using tin(II)2- ethylhexanoate as a catalyst. The molar masses of obtained star-shaped polymers were assessed using SEC method. The thermal properties of the branched polymer were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry. The molecular mass of the branched polymer increased with increasing the feed ratio of lactide and castor oil.

Korišćenje obnovljivih sirovina, kao što je biomasa, za proizvodnju polimera može da ima i ekološke i ekonomske prednosti. Cilj ovog rada je bila sinteza obnovljivih kopolimera na osnovu monomera L-laktida i ricinusovog ulja kao inicijatora. U sirovinskom sastavu uzoraka maseni odnos monomera L-laktida i inicijatora ricinusovog ulja bio je u opsegu od 4,53 do 21,5. Polimerizacija otvaranjem prstena je izvršena u mikrotalasnom reaktoru primenom kalaj(II)etilheksanoata kao katalizatora. Molske mase dobijenih zvezdastih polimera su određene pomoću SEC metode. Toplotna svojstva razgranatih polimera određena su metodom diferencijalne skenirajuće kalorimetrije. Molske mase razgranatog polimera rastu sa porastom masenog odnosa laktida i ricinusovog ulja.