Shell Oil Comapny

Joseph Galko

Edwin Andrew Sisson

Douglas D Callander

Eugene J Burkett

A process for making a random polyalkylene terephthalate/naphthalate copolymer by synthesizing a bis-(hydroxyalkyl)-naphthalate composition under transesterification conditions, and subsequently combining the bis-(hydroxyalkyl)-naphthalate, a terephthalic acid, and an alkylene glycol under direct esterification conditions to form a random polyaklylene terephthalate/naphthalate copolymer. The preferred bis-(hydroxyalkyl)-naphthalate is bis-(2-hydroxyalkyl)-2,6-naphthalate, with bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2,6-naphthalate being the most preferred. Preferably, the bis-(hydroxyalkyl)-naphthalate is added at the initial stage of an acid-based polymer process, and polymerization is initiated or continued to produce a polyester copolymer. Alternatively, the bis-(hydroxyalkyl)-naphthalate is added to phthalate-based oligomers after the initial direct esterification stage, and polymerization is continued to produce a polyester copolymer.

Process for manufacturing polyester copolymers

This invention is an improved process for producing polyester copolymers, which employs a combination of an acid-based process and an ester-based process. The ester-based process is used to manufacture a low molecular weight naphthalate-based polymer, and the acid-based process is used to manufacture phthalate-based oligomers. The low molecular weight naphthalate-based polymer is combined with the phthalate-based oligomers, or the raw materials used to form the phthalate-based oligomers, to form a random polyester copolymer. Specifically, the process of the invention may be employed to manufacture, in an ester-based process, a low molecular weight polyethylene naphthalate polymer, which is then combined with polyethylene terephthalate oligomers produced in an acid-based process, and the acid-based process is then used to continue the polymerization reaction. Ester interchange reactions and further polymerization result in the production of a random polyethylene terephthalate/naphthalate copolymer.

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Akron, OH, United States of America

Joseph Galko