D. Scherzer

BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Ludwigshafen, Germany

Polyesters may have some common properties but they can be distinguished by their biodegradability, if bio-based, by their mechanical properties or by their processibility.

       The basic properties of aromatic polyesters like PET (polyethylenterephthalate), PPT (polypropyleneterephathalate or polytrimethylenterephthalate, PTT) and PBT (polybutyleneterephathalate) are compared with copolyesters like PBAT (polybutyleneadipate/terephthalate), with aliphatic polyester like PLA (polylactic acid), PHAs (polyhydroxyalcanoates), PBS (polybutylenesuccinate) and PCL (polycaprolactone). Markets and potential applications are discussed as well as life cycle assessments.

       All polyesters are more or less hydrolysable but only a minority is biodegradable according to international standards. Most of the polyesters based on renewable resources are biodegradable like PHAs or PLA, but also some polyesters based on fossil resources like PBAT, PBS and PCL biodegrade.