New crosslinked polyesters, which are fully degradable in the presence of water over several months in the environment, were synthesized by direct polyesterification of multi-hydroxylic alcohols (e.g., pentaerythritol or glycerol), multi-carboxylic acids (e.g., citric acid), and hydroxy acid compounds (e.g., lactic acid). The reaction produced a crosslinked matrix with mechanical properties of solid and useful degradability in the environment. This reaction can be performed with moderate heat (100–200 °C) and without requiring the aid of additional catalysts, inert gas, or vacuum. The crosslinked matrix can be thermoplastic or thermoset, depending on the extent of crosslinking, which is controlled by reaction time and temperature. The polyesters formed with various ratios of the monomers degrade in water in 12 h at 95 °C, 3 days at 70 °C, and about 3 months at 30 °C. These environmentally degradable alkyl polyesters include a range of mechanical strengths and elasticity, making them suitable for various applications. These environmentally degradable, synthetic polymers can replace current non-degradable polymers in various applications. These new polymers are named “Nuplons”.

中文翻译：

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Nuplon：可在水中完全降解的新型合成聚合物


通过多羟基醇（例如季戊四醇或甘油）、多羧酸（例如柠檬酸）和羟基酸化合物（例如乳酸）的直接聚酯化，合成了新的交联聚酯，它们在环境中遇水数月即可完全降解。该反应产生了一种交联基质，其机械性能为固体，在环境中具有有用的可降解性。该反应可以在中等热量 （100–200 °C） 下进行，并且不需要额外的催化剂、惰性气体或真空的帮助。交联基质可以是热塑性或热固性基体，具体取决于交联程度，交联程度由反应时间和温度控制。用不同比例的单体形成的聚酯在 95 °C 下 12 小时、70 °C 下 3 天和 30 °C 下约 3 个月在水中降解。 这些可环境降解的烷基聚酯具有一系列机械强度和弹性，使其适用于各种应用。这些可环境降解的合成聚合物可以在各种应用中替代目前的不可降解聚合物。这些新聚合物被命名为“Nuplons”。