Cocrystallization of poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate-co-hexamethylene terephthalate) copolymers

We have synthesized poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate-co-hexamethylene terephthalate) [P(CT co-HT)] random copolymers having various comonomer contents, from 0 to 100 mol% HT, by melt-condensation and have investigated their crystallization behavior by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WARD). We observed that P(CT-co-HT)s exhibit clear melting and crystallization peaks in their DSC thermograms and sharp diffraction peaks in their WAXD patterns for all of their copolymer compositions as a result of cocrystallization of the CT and HT units, even though the copolymers are statistically random copolymers. When we plotted the melting and crystallization temperatures of P(CT-co-HT)s and the d-spacings of all the reflections against the copolymer composition, we observed a eutectic point at ca. 80 mol% HT, which suggests that a crystal transition occured from a PCT-type crystal to a PHT-type crystal. Both the DSC and WAXD results support the notion that P(CT-co-HT) copolymers undergo an isodimorphic cocrystallization.