Isaac Goodman, B. F. Nesbitt
1960
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0
Influential Citations
76
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Polymer
Abstract
Abstract The low molecular weight component of poly(ethylene terephthalate), separable by solvent extraction, has been resolved into four distinct compounds whose structures have been established. Three of the compounds are macrocyclic oligo(ethylene terephthalates) which have been shown to exist, at high temperatures, in equilibrium with the linear high polymer, and which amount to about 1·5 per cent of the weight of the polymer. The fourth compound, whose cyclic structure contains the 3-oxapentamethylenedioxy unit and which constitutes less than 0·1 per cent of the weight of the polymer, has been converted to a new ethylene terephthalate copolymer of regular structure. Possible mechanisms of formation and the conformations of the compounds are discussed.