Thiodiethylene glycol based polyesters: synthesis and thermal characterization

Poly(thiodiethylene terephthalate) (PSDET), poly(thiodiethylene adipate) (PSDEA), poly( diethylene terephthalate) (PDET) and poly(diethylene adipate) (PDEA) for comparison were synthsized and characterized in terms of chemical structure and molecular weight. The thermal behavior was examined by thermo gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. All the polymers showed a good thermal stability, even though lower for the sulfur-containing polyesters. At room temperature they appeared as semicrystalline materials, except PDEA, which was an oil; the effect of substitution of ether oxygen atoms with sulfur ones was a lowering in the T-g value, an increment of melting temperature and an increase of crystallization rate. The results were explained as due to the presence of flexible C-S-C bonds in the polymeric chain.