Hydrolytic stability of unsaturated polyester prepolymers

Abstract

Polyester prepolymers were used as model compounds of the corresponding networks in a study of relationships between structure and hydrolytic stability. A comparison of various types of prepolymers allowed us to establish that the hydrolytic stabilities are in the order: propylene glycol (PG) < neopentyl glycol (NPG), maleic acid (MA) < isophthalic acid (PA). For industrial prepolymers, which are copolyesters based on combinations of the above monomers, it appears that the overall hydrolysis rate is lower than its theoretical value determined from a simple mixture rule from the individual rate constants determined from the experimental study of homopolyesters. © 1996 Elsevier Science Limited.