Effect of a polyetheramine additive on the melt-flowability of poly(butylene terephthalate)

A polyetheramine (PEA) was added to poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) to improve its melt-flowability. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and solution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) were employed to check the change in chemical structure after compounding, while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angel X-ray diffraction (WAXD), capillary rheometer and a universal testing machine were used to investigate the thermal properties, crystal structure, rheological behavior and mechanical properties of PBT/PEA blends. The results revealed that a loading of 1.0wt% PEA in PBT drastically improved its melt-flowability without the loss of thermal properties and tensile strength. As comparisons, blends of PBT with polyols such as pentaerythritol and di(trimethylolpropane) were also prepared and the properties were evaluated. It was found that the melt-flowability improvement from these polyols was much lower than that from PEA.