Tuning the Structure and Properties of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(butylene terephthalate) Blend Monofilaments: Mechanism of Transesterification and Gradient Structure Development

Zhong-Li Zhang; Bo-Hao Li; Jia-Ke Fan; Kang Chen; Yi-Ning Hao; Xin-Yu Liu; Xian-Ming Zhang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3673-y

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Tuning the Structure and Properties of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(butylene terephthalate) Blend Monofilaments: Mechanism of Transesterification and Gradient Structure Development

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-07-15

- Tuning the Structure and Properties of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(butylene terephthalate) Blend Monofilaments: Mechanism of Transesterification and Gradient Structure Development
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 8, Pages: 2775-2786(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  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
- Author bio：
  
  chenkang@zstu.edu.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3673-y
  CLC：
- Received：08 February 2026，
  
  Revised：2026-03-17，
  
  Accepted：30 March 2026，
  
  Online First：15 July 2026，
  
  Published：15 August 2026
- Accepted：
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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. 2026, 44, 2775–2786

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]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(8): 2775-2786.
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. 2026, 44, 2775–2786 DOI： 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]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(8): 2775-2786. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3673-y.

摘要

Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PET/PBT) monofilaments were prepared by melt-blending spinning. At 2 wt% PBT

the monofilament exhibited a uniform radial-gradient structure and optimal mechanical properties. Excessive PBT induces transesterification and phase separation

thereby deteriorating performance.

Abstract

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.

关键词

Keywords

references

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