聚丁二酸二丁酯poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu)及含少量丁二酸二丙酯之兩種共聚酯poly(butylene succinate-co-propylene succinate)s (PBPSu 95/5 and PBPSu 90/10)經由直接聚縮合反應製備而成。由1H 核磁共振分析儀 (NMR) 光譜分析得知，此兩種共聚酯propylene succinate (PS)含量分別為7.0及 11.5 mol%，並由13C NMR光譜鑑定獲知，此兩種共聚酯順序排列是無規的分佈。本研究利用各種方法探討此三種聚酯之非等溫結晶及熱裂解行為。以示差掃描熱量計 (DSC) 與偏光顯微鏡 (PLM) 分別在1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10 ºC/min條件下，探討PBSu及PBPSu之非等溫結晶行為，並觀察球晶的結晶型態隨降溫速度及PS含量的轉變，球晶的成長速度藉由曲線模擬 (curve-fitting) 方式獲得，並利用 Lauritzen-Hoffman 方程式分析成長速度與區型轉移 (regime transition)，結果得知PBSu、PBPSu 95/5及PBPSu 90/10的regime II轉移至regime III 溫度依次為95.6, 84.4, 77.3 ºC。
DSC放熱曲線顯示這三種聚酯的非等溫結晶都發生在regime III範圍。利用modified Avrami, Ozawa, Mo, Friedman and Vyazovkin方程式分析DSC數據。由於此聚酯存在二次結晶現象，Ozawa方程式並不適用解釋DSC數據。所有模式分析結果及PLM實驗得知，加入少量的PS明顯抑制PBSu的結晶能力。由DSC分析聚酯之非等溫結晶後的熔融行為，皆呈現熔融-再結晶-再熔融的現象。利用衰減全反射 (attenuated total reflectance, ATR) 傅立葉轉換紅外光譜儀 (ATR-FTIR) 鑑定PBSu及PBPSu之非等溫結晶過程，發現紅外光譜在916, 955, 1045 cm-1出現結晶吸收峰。
利用熱重分析儀 (thermogravimetric analysis, TGA)-FTIR在氮氣環境及5 ºC/min升溫下，探討三種聚酯熱分解產物。經由紅外光譜分析，分解主要產物為酸酐 (anhydride)，其分解途徑係聚酯中丁二酸基之O-CH2鍵斷裂後，分解之丁二酸脫水 (dehydrate) 而形成。利用TGA在氮氣環境及1, 3, 5, 10 ºC/min升溫下，探討聚酯之熱穩定性。應用Friedman 及Ozawa此兩種 Model-free方程式，探討在不同熱重損失程度下之熱裂解活化能，結果顯示添加少量PS並不會明顯影響聚酯的熱穩定性。應用Model-fitting方法以決定重量損失函數f(α)及其活化能。結果顯示自催化級數 (autocatalysis nth-order) 反應機制函數, f(α)=αm(1-α)n, 比級數(nth-order)反應機制函數, f(α)=(1-α)n, 更符合實驗結果。經由獲得之活化能數值，計算聚酯材料之失效溫度 (failure temperature, Tf)，當重量損失達5 %及承受時間為60,000小時下，PBSu、PBPSu 95/5及PBPSu 90/10之Tf 分別為160.7, 155.5, 159.3 ºC。

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) and two poly(butylene succinate-co-propylene succinate)s (PBPSu 95/5 and PBPSu 90/10) were synthesized via the direct polycondensation reaction. The copolyesters were characterized as having 7.0 and 11.5 mol% propylene succinate (PS) units, respectively, by 1H NMR. Copolyesters were characterized as random, based on 13C NMR spectra. They were fully investigated during nonisothermal crystallization and thermal degradation through various approaches in this study. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a polarized light microscope (PLM) adopted to study the nonisothermal crystallization of these polyesters at a cooling rate of 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 10 ºC/min. Morphologies and the isothermal growth rates of spherulites under PLM experiments were monitored and obtained by curve-fitting, respectively. These continuous rate data were analyzed with the Lauritzen-Hoffman equation. A transition of regime II → III was found at 95.6, 84.4, and 77.3 ºC for PBSu, PBPSu 95/5, and PBPSu 90/10, respectively.
DSC exothermic curves show that all of the nonisothermal crystallization occurred in regime III. DSC data were analyzed using modified Avrami, Ozawa, Mo, Friedman and Vyazovkin equations. Ozawa equation does not accurately describe the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of this polyester because part of the crystallization is secondary crystallization. All the results of PLM and DSC measurements indicate that incorporation of minor PS units into PBSu markedly inhibits the crystallization of the resulting polymer. The melting behavior of nonisothermally crystallized samples presents a continuous melting–recrystallization–remelting process. Additionally, three absorption bands during the nonisothermal crystallization were identified for PBSu and two PBPSu copolyesters, namely, 916, 955, 1045 cm-1 in the attenuated total reflectance FTIR spectra.
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)-FTIR was heated at 5 ºC/min under N2 to monitor the degradation products of these three polyesters. FTIR spectra revealed that the major products were anhydrides, which were obtained following two cyclic intramolecular degradation mechanisms by breaking the weak O-CH2 bonds around a succinate group. Thermal stability at heating rates of 1, 3, 5, and 10 ºC/min under N2 was investigated using TGA. The model-free methods of Friedman and Ozawa equations are useful for studying the activation energy of degradation in each period of mass loss. The results reveal that the random incorporation of minor PS units into PBSu did not markedly affect their thermal resistance. Two model-fitting mechanisms were used to determine the loss mass function f(α), the activation energy and the associated mechanism. The mechanism of autocatalysis nth-order, with f(α)=αm(1-α)n, fitted the experimental data much more closely than did the nth-order mechanism given by f(α)=(1-α)n. The obtained activation energy was used to estimate the failure temperature (Tf). The values of Tf for a mass loss of 5% and an endurance time of 60,000 hr are 160.7, 155.5, and 159.3 ºC for PBSu and two the copolyesters, respectively.

ABSTRACT I
摘 要 III
致 謝 V
CONTENTS VI
LIST OF TABLES VIII
LIST OF SCHEMES IX
LIST OF FIGURES X
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Backgrounds 1
1.2 Motivation and objectives 4
1.3 Research approaches 5
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL APPROACHES 7
2.1 Crystallization structure and conformation of poly(butylene succinate) 7
2.2 Related researches of poly(butylene succinate) 8
2.2.1 Poly(butylene succinate) homopolymer 8
2.2.2 Blending with poly(butylene succinate) 11
2.2.3 Copolymerization with poly(butylene succinate) 15
2.3 Related researches of poly(butylene succinate-co-propylene succinate) 18
2.4 Nonisothermal crystallization 22
2.4.1 Avrami model 25
2.4.2 Ozawa model 26
2.4.3 Mo model 27
2.4.4 Kinetic analysis of growth rates of spherulites 28
2.4.5 Effective activation energy 29
2.4.6 ATR-FTIR spectra for crystallization measurements 30
2.5 Thermal degradation reaction and kinetics 32
2.6 Life-time and failure temperature parameters prediction 34
CHAPTER 3 EXPERIMENTAL 36
3.1 Chemicals 36
3.2 Materials 36
3.3 Samples preparation 36
3.4 Instruments 37
3.5 Characterization 37
3.5.1 Microstructures 37
3.5.2 Molecular weights 38
3.5.3 Crystal morphology and measurements of the growth rates under nonisothermal condition 38
3.5.4 Crystallization behavior under nonisothermal condition 39
3.5.5 Melting behavior following nonisothermal condition 39
3.5.6 Thermal degradation kinetics 40
3.5.7 Thermal degradation mechanism 40
3.5.8 Research flow chart 40
CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DICUSSION 41
4.1 Molecular weight measurements 41
4.2 Analyses of microstructures 41
4.3 Determination of the growth rates by the nonisothermal method 42
4.4 Kinetic analysis of the growth rates of spherulites 44
4.5 Morphology of spherulites 45
4.6 Nonisothermal crystallization 46
4.6.1 Crystallization behavior 46
4.6.2 Kinetics analyses 47
4.6.3 Effective activation energy 50
4.6.4 Crystallization behavior by ATR-FTIR 52
4.7 Melting behavior 53
4.8 FTIR spectra changes during thermal degradation 54
4.9 Thermal degradation mechanisms 56
4.10 Thermal degradation kinetics 58
4.11 Life-time and failure temperature 61
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS 63
REFERENCES 126
PUBLICATIONS 133

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