Synthesis of Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) with Enhanced Properties by Using a Novel Titanium Catalyst-Toner Combination

Abstract A novel Ti/Zn-TiN catalyst-toner combination has been prepared for the in-situ polycondensation of terephthalic acid and 1,3-propanediol. The combination showed superior effects on the control of the polymerization as well as the quality of the poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) products. Structure and thermal stability of synthesized polymers were studied by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In compared with PTT synthesized by using other titanium catalysts, PTT produced by using this method showed better color value, better thermal stability and better mechanical performance. This novel eco-friendly nontoxic Ti/Zn-TiN catalyst-toner combination can be developed into a good environmentally friendly catalytic system for polyester synthesis.