AbstractA few unsaturated polysters prepared by melt polycondensation of maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, and aliphatic glycols in different proportions have been characterized. The salient features of the1H and13C NMR spectra of the polyesters and of model compounds are compared. It appears that from 15 to 20% of maleic acid residues have reacted with excess glycol to yield branching points while the remaining free olefinic double bonds have undergonecis→transisomerization almost quantitatively along the oligomeric chain