Synthesis and radiocarbon evidence of terephthalate polyesters completely prepared from renewable resources

Abstract

Monomers used for the synthesis of terephthalate polyesters have been prepared starting from renewable resources. In particular, dimethyl terephthalate was synthesised starting from bio-limonene while butanediol was synthesised starting from bio-succinic acid. Using these bio-monomers it was possible to synthesise polyesters with the same chemical structure and molecular weight of commercially available polymers. Moreover, the polymers obtained from bio-based monomers, present the same thermal properties of the polyesters obtained using petrol-derived monomers. A poly(butylene terephthalate) completely obtained from renewable resources was also synthesised. The radiocarbon and isotope mass spectroscopy analysis confirmed that this polyester contains 94 ± 3% of bio-based material.