In one aspect, the present invention encompasses compositions of sustainable polycarbonate polymers, methods of producing such polymers, and methods for evaluating whether certain constituents of a polymer chain are derived from biomass or a fossil carbon source.

A process is disclosed herein comprising the steps: a) contacting a mixture comprising furandicarboxylic acid dialkyl ester, 1,3-propanediol, a zinc compound, and optionally a poly(alkylene ether) diol, at a temperature in the range of from about 120° C. to about 220° C. to form prepolymer, wherein the mole ratio of the furandicarboxylic acid dialkyl ester to the 1,3-propanediol is in the range of from 1:1.3 to 1:2.2; and b) heating the prepolymer under reduced pressure to a temperature in the range of from about 220° C. to about 260° C. to form polymer. The mixture of step a) can further comprise an anthraquinone compound.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a composition comprising polylactide and lactide by ring-opening polymerization of lactide, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing lactide and polymerization catalyst to a reactor, (b) melt polymerizing said lactide to a degree of polymerization of at most 96.0%, to form a composition comprising polylactide and lactide, and (c) removing said composition from the reactor, wherein the whole process is performed at pressures of at least 1 bar, and wherein the composition removed from the reactor is never subjected to a pressure below 1 bar and wherein the composition is not subjected to one of more devolatilization steps.

Techniques regarding the synthesis of one or more polymers through one or more ring-opening polymerizations conducted within a flow reactor and facilitated by one or more anionic catalysts are provided. For example, one or more embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise polymerizing, via a ring-opening polymerization within a flow reactor, a cyclic monomer in the presence of one or more anionic organocatalysts.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a thermoplastic polyester using a reaction mixture comprising a dicarboxylic acid having a melting temperature of ≥200° C. wherein the dicarboxylic acid is introduced to the process in the form of particles having an average particle diameter of ≥100 μm. Such process results in a reduction of the polymerisation time. Furthermore, it allows for the production of thermoplastic polyesters having a desired balance of intrinsic viscosity and carboxylic end group content at a reduced polymerisation time.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a thermoplastic polyester using a reaction mixture comprising a dicarboxylic acid having a melting temperature of ≥200° C. wherein the dicarboxylic acid is introduced to the process in the form of particles having an average particle diameter of ≥100 μm. Such process results in a reduction of the polymerisation time. Furthermore, it allows for the production of thermoplastic polyesters having a desired balance of intrinsic viscosity and carboxylic end group content at a reduced polymerisation time.

Disclosed in the present invention is a preparation method for a polyester, relating to the technical field of organic catalysis and polymeric materials. The preparation method in the present invention comprises: (1) using pyridine and saccharin in a ratio of 1:1 to prepare pyridine saccharin salt in tetrahydrofuran at 60° C. and separating the pyridine saccharin salt out in methanol and hexane. (2) Freeing out a small amount of pyridine from the pyridine saccharin salt in a heating state, catalyzing by the pyridine saccharin salt and pyridine a cyclic lactone or a carbonate to be ring-opened and polymerized to form the polyester; and the system has no other compound residues. (3) In the presence of an alcohol initiator, catalyzing by the pyridine saccharin salt the cyclic lactone to be ring-opened and polymerized to obtain the polyester. The catalytic system can efficiently synthesize a specific polylactone. Compared with a method for synthesizing a polyester by the use of a metal-containing catalyst in the prior art, the system has wide application. Moreover, the system is advantageous of no metal residue, narrow molecular weight distribution and no chain transesterification, and therefore has great commercial application potential in bio-pharmaceutical field and microelectronic field.

A polyester copolymer, having a number average molecular weight of equal to or more than 4000 grams/mole and having a glass transition temperature of less than 160° C., containing:

(a) in the range from equal to or more than 45 mole % to equal to or less than 50 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of one or more bicyclic diol monomer units, wherein such one or more bicyclic diol monomer units is/are derived from one or more bicyclic diols chosen from the group consisting of isosorbide, isoidide, isomannide, 2,3:4,5-di-O-methylene-galactitol and 2,4:3,5-di-O-methylene-D-mannitol;
(b) in the range from equal to or more than 25 mole % to equal to or less than 49.9 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of an oxalate monomer unit;
(c) in the range from equal to or more than 0.1 mole % to equal to or less than 25 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of one or more linear C3-C12 dicarboxylate monomer units; and
(d) optionally equal to or more than 0 mole % to equal to or less than 5 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of one or more additional monomer units.

A process for producing such a polyester copolymer, a composition containing such polyester copolymer, a method for manufacturing an article comprising the use of one or more of such polyester copolymers and an article obtained or obtainable by such a method.

A polyester copolymer, having a number average molecular weight of equal to or more than 4000 grams/mole and having a glass transition temperature of less than 160° C., containing:

(a) in the range from equal to or more than 45 mole % to equal to or less than 50 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of one or more bicyclic diol monomer units, wherein such one or more bicyclic diol monomer units is/are derived from one or more bicyclic diols chosen from the group consisting of isosorbide, isoidide, isomannide, 2,3:4,5-di-O-methylene-galactitol and 2,4:3,5-di-O-methylene-D-mannitol;
(b) in the range from equal to or more than 25 mole % to equal to or less than 49.9 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of an oxalate monomer unit;
(c) in the range from equal to or more than 0.1 mole % to equal to or less than 25 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of one or more linear C3-C12 dicarboxylate monomer units; and
(d) optionally equal to or more than 0 mole % to equal to or less than 5 mole %, based on the total amount of moles of monomer units within the polyester copolymer, of one or more additional monomer units.

A process for producing such a polyester copolymer, a composition containing such polyester copolymer, a method for manufacturing an article comprising the use of one or more of such polyester copolymers and an article obtained or obtainable by such a method.

A new family of Group IV transition metal catalytic compounds are provided, which are capable of catalysing the ROP of cyclic esters and cyclic amides to yield polymers of high molecular weight and narrow PDI. The new family of catalysts are surprisingly active not only in catalysing the ROP of lactones such as caprolactone, but also macrolactones (e.g. ω-pentadecalactone, PDL), where the reduced amount of ring strain would typically compromise efficient polymerisation. Also provided is a process for the ring opening polymerisation (ROP) of a cyclic ester or a cyclic amide employing the new catalytic compounds.