A new type of biodegradable polyesteramide P(LA/AU) based on lactic acid and aminoundecanoic acid was synthesized by the melt polycondensation method. The copolymers obtained were characterized by FTIR. 1H-NMR. DSC. and XRD。 The in vitro degradation behavior of the copolymers was strdied using weighing. H-NMR, FTIR. DSC, and SEM. With the increase in aminoundecanoic acid units, the milting temperature and units, the melting temperature and crystallinity increased, but the water absorption and degradation rate decreased accordingly. During degradation in vitro, the ester mority decreased due to ester cleavage along the macromolecular main chain. As degradation proceeded, the melting temperature and crystallinity increased at first, then started to decrease because the crystalline phase was destroyed.

Hydrolytically degradable PET/PEG block copolymer was synthesized by the macromolecular transesterification method from PET and PEG. Non-isothermal crystallization behavior of the copolymers was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Water absorption and in vitro degradation behaviour of these copolymers were studied in detail. When hydrophilic PEG was incorporated into the PET chain, water absorption increased. With the increase in PEG concentration, the degradation rate increased accordingly. PEG molecular weight has different effects on PET/PEG copolymers’ degradation rate. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Degradable polyesteramide fibres were processed by melt-spinning. Tensile properties of as-spun and hot-drawn fibres were also investigated. After drawing, the overall crystallinity and the melting temperature of the copolymer increased. As a result, the tensile strength of the fibre increased, and the elongation at break decreased. The morphology of the surface and fracture cross section were studied by SEM. During alkaline degradation, the tensile strength and the elongation at break both decreased.

A new kind of polyesteramide copolymer based on e-caprolactone and 11-aminoundecanoic acid has been synthesized by melt polycondensation. The copolymers were characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, DSC, and WAXD. With the increase in aminoundecanoic acid content, the melting temperature, heat of fusion, and Td, 50% increased accordingly. The thermal degradation of the P (CL/AU) x/y copolymers was studied using FTIR, and TG During thermal degradation, the ester bond decomposes at lower temperature, then the amide bond decomposes at higher temperature.