Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) composition and shaped articles prepared therefrom

1. A poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) prepared by polycondensation of: (a) a glycol component comprising 1,3-propanediol; (b) aliphatic or aromatic diacid or diester; and (c) from about 0.01 to about 0.2 mole %, based on the total number of moles of said glycol component and diacid or ester, of polyfunctional reactant containing three or more carboxylic acid type groups or hydroxy groups;

wherein comonomers in the glycol component other than 1,3-propanediol are not more than 10% by weight of said glycol component;

wherein said poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) further comprises comonomer repeat units derived from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propane diol, and C 6 -C 12 diols; and

wherein said polyfunctional reactant is not pyromellitic dianhydride.

2. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional reactant is selected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acid having at least three or more carboxyl groups, and polyols having at least three or more hydroxyl groups, or mixtures thereof.

3. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional reactant is polycarboxylic acid having 3 to 4 carboxyl groups.

4. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional reactant is polyol having 3-4 hydroxyl groups.

5. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional reactant is polycarboxylic acid having 3 carboxyl groups.

6. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional reactant is polyol having 3 hydroxyl groups.

7. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 2 wherein the aliphatic or aromatic diacid or diester is selected from the group consisting of aromatic dicarboxylic acids and esters and combinations thereof.

8. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 2 that is poly(trimethylene terephthalate) wherein the diacid or ester comprises terephthalic acid or an ester thereof.

9. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 8 wherein the polyfunctional reactant comprises polycarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of trimesic acid, pyromellitic acid, benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid anhydride, trimellitic acid anhydride, benzenetetracarboxylic acid anhydride, hemimellitic acid, trimellitic acid, 1,1,2,2, ethanetetracarboxylic acid, 1,2,2-ethanetricarboxylic acid, 1,3,5-pentanetricarboxylic acid, 1,2,3,4-cyclopentanecarboxylic acid, and mixtures thereof.

10. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 8 wherein the polyfunctional reactant comprises polyol selected from the group consisting of glycerine, pentaerythritol, 2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol, trimethylolpropane and mixtures thereof.

11. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional reactant comprises trimesic acid.

12. The poly(trimethylene terephthalate) of claim 1 prepared by a process comprising contacting terephthalic acid or an ester thereof with a 1:1 to 3:1 molar amount of 1,3-propanediol and polyfunctional reactant in an amount of from about 0.01 to about 0.2 mole % based on the total number of moles of 1,3-propanediol and diacid or ester, in the presence of polycondensation catalyst to form a bis(3-hydroxypropyl) terephthalate monomer containing polyfunctional reactant, and polymerizing them to obtain the poly(trimethylene terephthalate).

13. The poly(trimethylene terephthalate) of claim 1 prepared by a process comprising contacting terephthalic acid or an ester thereof with a 1.2:1 to 2:1 molar amount of 1,3-propanediol and polyfunctional reactant in an amount of from about 0.01 to about 0.2 mole % based on the total number of moles of 1,3-propanediol and diacid or ester, in the presence of polycondensation catalyst to form a bis(3-hydroxypropyl) terephthalate monomer containing polyfunctional reactant, and polymerizing them to obtain the poly(trimethylene terephthalate).

14. The poly(trimethylene terephthalate) of claim 1 prepared by a process comprising contacting terephthalic acid or an ester thereof with a 1.5:1 to 2:1 molar amount of 13-propanediol and polyfunctional reactant in an amount of from about 0.01 to about 0.2 mole % based on the total number of moles of 1,3-propanediol and diacid or ester, in the presence of polycondensation catalyst to form a bis(3-hyd roxypropyl) terephthalate monomer containing polyfunctional reactant, and polymerizing them to obtain the poly(trimethylene terephthalate).

15. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the 1,3-propanediol is derived from a fermentation process using a renewable biological source.

16. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 that has a higher melt viscosity than poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) made in the same way except that it contains no polyfunctional reactant.

17. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 that has a higher melt strength than poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) made in the same way except that it contains no polyfunctional reactant.

18. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the comonomer diols are selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propane diol and C 6 -C 12 diols.

19. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 wherein the comonomer diol is ethylene glycol.

20. A shaped article obtained from the poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 .

21. The shaped article of claim 20 that in the form of a container, compression or injection molded part, tile, film, and engineered component.

22. The shaped article of claim 20 further comprising mineral filler.

23. A bottle comprised of the poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 .

24. The bottle of claim 23 wherein the poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) is poly(trimethylene terephthalate).

25. The bottle of claim 23 wherein the poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) is poly(trimethylene naphthalate).

26. The bottle of claim 23 wherein the bottle comprises a blend of poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) and poly(ethylene dicarboxylate).

27. The bottle of claim 23 wherein the bottle comprises a blend of 35-65 weight % poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) and 65-35 weight % poly(ethylene dicarboxylate), by weight of the polymer in the blend.

28. The bottle of claim 23 wherein the bottle comprises a blend of 40-60 weight % poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) and 60-40 weight % poly(ethylene dicarboxylate), by weight of the polymer in the blend.

29. The bottle of claim 23 further comprising mineral filler.

30. A process of making a shaped article comprising making a parison comprising the poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 1 and blowing the parison into the shaped article.

31. The process of claim 30 wherein the shaped article is a container.

32. The process of claim 30 wherein the shaped article is a bottle.

33. The poly(trimethylene dicarboxylate) of claim 19 wherein the comonomer diols are 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propane diol, 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propane diol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,8-octanediol, 1,10-decanediol, 1,12-dodecanediol,