

FOLLOWUS
a.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
b.Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center of Advanced Textile Technology, Shaoxing 312030, China
chenkang@zstu.edu.cn
Received:08 February 2026,
Revised:2026-03-17,
Accepted:30 March 2026,
Online First:15 July 2026,
Published:15 August 2026
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Zhang, Z. L.; Li, B. H.; Fan, J. K.; Chen, K.; Hao, Y. N.; Liu, X. Y.; Zhang, X. M. Tuning the structure and properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/poly(butylene terephthalate) blend monofilaments: mechanism of transesterification and gradient structure development. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3673-y
Zhong-Li Zhang, Bo-Hao Li, Jia-Ke Fan, et al. Tuning the Structure and Properties of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(butylene terephthalate) Blend Monofilaments: Mechanism of Transesterification and Gradient Structure Development[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-12.
Zhang, Z. L.; Li, B. H.; Fan, J. K.; Chen, K.; Hao, Y. N.; Liu, X. Y.; Zhang, X. M. Tuning the structure and properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/poly(butylene terephthalate) blend monofilaments: mechanism of transesterification and gradient structure development. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3673-y DOI:
Zhong-Li Zhang, Bo-Hao Li, Jia-Ke Fan, et al. Tuning the Structure and Properties of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(butylene terephthalate) Blend Monofilaments: Mechanism of Transesterification and Gradient Structure Development[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-12. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3673-y.
To address the limited toughness of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) monofilaments arising from the inherent molecular chain rigidity
this study prepared PET/poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) blend monofilaments
via
the melt-blend spinning method to enhance their toughness. The influence of PBT content on the structural evolution and properties of the blend system was systematically investigated. These results indicate that the PBT content significantly influences the extent of transesterification and compatibility
thereby dictating the mechanical behavior of the monofilaments. At a low PBT content of 2 wt%
transesterification was negligible. The monofilaments exhibited a uniform radial gradient orientation without a distinct skin-core structure
demonstrating optimal overall mechanical performance with markedly improved strength. Specifically
the tensile
loop
and knot strengths were 611
421
and 443 MPa
respectively. When the PBT content exceeded 5 wt%
the flexible chain segments of PBT enhanced the molecular chain mobility in the blend chips
leading to an increase in crystallite size. However
intensified transesterification concurrently reduces the crystallizability and degrades the mechanical properties. At PBT contents above 15 wt%
SEM analysis revealed phase separation and pronounced heterogeneity in the radial gradient structure of the blend monofilaments
resulting in a significant deterioration of the mechanical properties. This study elucidates the pivotal role of blending ratio in governing the “composition-structure-property” relationship of PET/PBT-blended monofilaments
revealing the underlying mechanism of transesterification and gradient structure development. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the design of high-performance PET monofilaments.
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