Polyester, adhesives comprising the same, and laminates and laminated hollow vessels made thereof

Claim 1

A thermoplastic polyester comprising the constituent units represented by the following formulas (I), (II), (III) and (IV): ##STR23## wherein R 1 , in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more divalent groups each derived from a dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, orthophthalic acid and a straight-chained aliphatic dicarboxylic acid containing 4 to 10 carbon atoms by removal of both carboxyl groups therefrom, R 2 , in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more monovalent groups each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic or alicyclic monocarboxylic acid containing 6 to 30 carbon atoms and an aromatic monocarboxylic acid containing 7-20 carbon atoms by removal of the carboxyl group therefrom, D, in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more divalent groups each derived from a diol selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic diol containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms and an alicyclic diol containing 6 to 8 carbon atoms by removal of both hydroxyl groups therefrom, and m, n, p 1 , p 2 , p 3 and q are each an integer of 0 or 1, said constituent units being bonded together in the combinations of (I)-(II), (I)-(III), (II)-(III), (II)-(IV), (III)-(III) and (III)-(IV) and via only one oxygen atom in each combination, the molar ratio (I):(II) being substantially 1:1, the molar ratio (I):(III) being in the range of 1,000:1 to 100:5 and the molar ratio (III):(IV) being in the range of 4:1 to 1:10, said polyester having an intrinsic viscosity of not less than 0.5 dl/g.

Claim 4

A method of producing a thermoplastic polyester comprising the constituent units represented by the following formulas (I), (II), (III) and (IV): ##STR25## wherein R 1 , in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more divalent groups each derived from a dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, orthophthalic acid and a straight-chained aliphatic dicarboxylic acid containing 4 to 10 carbon atoms by removal of both carboxyl groups therefrom, R 2 , in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more monovalent groups each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic or alicyclic monocarboxylic acid containing 6 to 30 carbon atoms and an aromatic monocarboxylic acid containing 7-20 carbon atoms by removal of the carboxyl group therefrom, D, in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more divalent groups each derived from a diol selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic diol containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms and an alicyclic diol containing 6 to 8 carbon atoms by removal of both hydroxyl groups therefrom, and m, n, p 1 , p 2 , p 3 and q are each an integer of 0 or 1, said constituent units being bonded together in the combinations of (I)-(II), (I)-(III), (II)-(III), (II)-(IV), (III)-(III) and (III)-(IV) and via only one oxygen atom in each combination, the molar ratio (I):(II) being substantially 1:1, the molar ratio (I):(III) being in the range of 1,000:1 to 100:5 and the molar ratio (III):(IV) being in the range of 4:1 to 1:10, said polyester having an intrinsic viscosity of not less than 0.5 dl/g, which method comprises polycondensing at least one dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, orthophthalic acid and a straight-chained aliphatic dicarboxylic acid containing 4 to 10 carbon atoms or an ester-forming derivative thereof with at least one diol selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic diol containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms and an alicyclic diol containing 6 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of an aluminum compound of the formula ##STR26## wherein R 5 is a monovalent group derived from an aliphatic, alicyclic or monocyclic aromatic alcohol by removal of the hydroxyl group therefrom, R 6 is a monovalent group derived from an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid containing 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an alicyclic monocarboxylic acid containing 6 to 30 carbon atoms, an aromatic monocarboxylic acid containing 7 to 20 carbon atoms, a monoester of a dicarboxylic acid corresponding to any of such monocarboxylic acids or a mono alkali metal salt of a dicarboxylic acid corresponding to any of such monocarboxylic acids by removal of the free carboxyl group, R 7 is a methyl or phenyl group, R 8 is a methyl or phenyl group or a monovalent group derived from an aliphatic alcohol by removal of the hydroxyl proton therefrom, i, j and k each represents the average number of respective groups bonded to the aluminum atom, i+j+k=3 and 0≦i≦2, 0≦j≦3 and 0≦k≦3.

Claim 5

A method of producing a thermoplastic polyester comprising the constituent units represented by the following formulas (I), (II), (III) and (IV): ##STR25## wherein R 1 , in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more divalent groups each derived from a dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, orthophthalic acid and a straight-chained aliphatic dicarboxylic acid containing 4 to 10 carbon atoms by removal of both carboxyl groups therefrom, R 2 , in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more monovalent groups each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic or alicyclic monocarboxylic acid containing 6 to 30 carbon atoms and an aromatic monocarboxylic acid containing 7-20 carbon atoms by removal of the carboxyl group therefrom, D, in its repeated occurrence in said polyester, represents one or more divalent groups each derived from a diol selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic diol containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms and an alicyclic diol containing 6 to 8 carbon atoms by removal of both hydroxyl groups therefrom, and m, n, p 1 , p 2 , p 3 and q are each an integer of 0 or 1, said constituent units being bonded together in the combinations of (I)-(II), (I)-(III), (II)-(III), (II)-(IV), (III)-(III) and (III)-(IV) and via only one oxygen atom in each combination, the molar ratio (I):(II) being substantially 1:1, the molar ratio (I):(III) being in the range of 1,000:1 to 100:5 and the molar ratio (III):(IV) being in the range of 4:1 to 1:10, said polyester having an intrinsic viscosity of not less than 0.5 dl/g, which method comprises polycondensing at least one dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, orthophthalic acid and a straight-chained aliphatic dicarboxylic acid containing 4 to 10 carbon atoms or an ester-forming derivative thereof with at least one diol selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic diol containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms and an alicyclic diol containing 6 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of an aluminum compound of the formula ##STR26## wherein R 5 is a monovalent group derived from an aliphatic, alicyclic or monocyclic aromatic alcohol by removal of the hydroxyl group therefrom, R 6 is a monovalent group derived from an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid containing 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an alicyclic monocarboxylic acid containing 6 to 30 carbon atoms, an aromatic monocarboxylic acid containing 7 to 20 carbon atoms, a monoester of a dicarboxylic acid corresponding to any of such monocarboxylic acids or a mono alkali metal salt of a dicarboxylic acid corresponding to any of such monocarboxylic acids by removal of the free carboxyl group, R 7 is a methyl or phenyl group, R 8 is a methyl or phenyl group or a monovalent group derived from an aliphatic alcohol by removal of the hydroxyl proton therefrom, i, j and k each represents the average number of respective groups bonded to the aluminum atom, i+j+k=3 and 0≦i≦2, 0≦j≦3 and 0≦k≦3.