Process for making polyetherester resins with high aromatic ester content

摘要

A process for making polyetherester resins is disclosed, wherein a glycol ester of an aromatic diacid such as terephthalic acid is reacted with a polyether and a source of a dicarboxylic acid such as maleic anhydride to produce a polyetherester resin, wherein the aromatic diester content may be conveniently adjusted as desired. The process permits the preparation of unsaturated polyetherester resins with relatively high levels of terephthalate repeating units while avoiding the difficulties associated with the direct use of terephthalic acid in previously known procedures. Such unsaturated polyetheresters are useful for making thermoset resins with excellent mechanical and physical properties. New glycol esters based on 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, compositions of such glycol esters and 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, and polyester resins and thermosets made from the glycol esters, are also disclosed.