Study of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) as an engineering thermoplastics material

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) was systematically studied as an engineering thermoplastics material. Crystallization rates, crystalline degrees, and mechanical properties of two commercial PTT polymers and one glass fiber-reinforced PTT compound were investigated and compared with those of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT). PTT raw polymers have crystallization temperature (T-c) values around 152degreesC, and their kneaded polymers show T-c values of about 177degreesC, about 15degreesC lower than the values of PBT polymers used in this study. From the exothermic heat values of DSC measurements, both PTT and PBT show the crystalline degree order greater than 30%. Injection-molded PTT specimens and PBT specimens exhibit crystalline degrees from 18 to 32% and 23.8 to 30%, respectively. PTT polymers show higher tensile and flexural strengths, but lower impact strengths and elongations than those of PBT polymers. The low elongation behavior of PTT does not change with the intrinsic viscosity and the molder temperature. PTT-GF30 promotes better mechanical properties than those of PBT-GF30, close to those of PET-GF30. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.