| Abstract: | Two series of unsaturated polyesters (UPE from isophthalic acid, fumaric acid, and propylene glycol) were prepared. In series-A resins, UPEs wee thickened with isocyanate-terminated saturated aliphatic polyestes, i.e., an isocyanate-terminated polycaprolactone diol (PE-di-OL), through reaction of the isocyanate group with the hydroxyl group of the UPE. In series-B resins, the UPEs were mixed with saturated aliphatic polyesters i.e., PE-di-OL. The curing reaction of these two series of UPEs with styrene was studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The DSC data show that for a fixed PE-di-OL molecular weight, the curing reaction rate of series-A UPE is faster than that of series-B UPE. The variation of microgel size during curing ws studied by GPC. These results revealed that microgel formation has a great effect on the kinetics of cure for the unsaturated polyester-styrene system. The curing of these two series of UPEs is found to strongly depend on the compatibility of the components in the curing system. |
