Novel macrocyclic aryl thioether ester oligomers: structure characterization and free-radical ring opening polymerization

Novel macrocyclic aryl thioether ester oligomers have been synthesized in high yield from phthaloyl dichloride and 4,4'-thiodiphenol under pseudo high dilution conditions. The cyclic nature was unambiguously confirmed by a combination of MALDI-TOF MS, gel permeation chromatography and NMR analyses. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of cyclic ester dimer reveals no severe strain on the cyclic structure. The free-radical ring opening polymerization (ROP) of the macrocyclic oligomers was achieved to give high molecular weight polymers via a transthioetherification reaction. The molecular weight of the polymer resulting from ROP decreases as the conversion of cyclic oligomers increases after a polymerization period of 30 min.

Crystal structure and drawing-induced polymorphism in poly(aryl ether ether ketone). IV

A new crystal modification induced by strain and denoted as form II exists alongside the dominant form I structure in the uniaxially oriented poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and the related polymers. The crystal structure of form II for PEEK is also found to possess a two-chain orthorhombic packing with unit cell parameters of a equal to 0.475 nm, b equal to 1.060 nm, and c equal to 1.086 nm. More extended and flattened chain conformation of form II relative to that of form I is expected to account for an 8% increase in c-axis dimension, which is attributed to the extensional deformation fixed in situ through strain-induced crystallization during uniaxial drawing. Annealing experiments suggest that form II is thermodynamically metastable and can be transformed into more stable form I by chain relaxation and reorganization at elevated temperature without external tension. This strain-induced polymorphism exists universally in the poly(aryl ether ketone) family. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Synthesis of a new aryl ether ketone polymer

The synthesis of a new aryl ether ketone polymer with an advantageous ratio of glass transition temperature to melting temperature is reported.

Synthesis of novel cyclic aryl ether thioether ketone (Sulfone) oligomers

Two kinds of macrocyclic oligomers containing aromatic sulfide linkages have been synthesized by the solution polycondensation in high yield. The cyclic compounds were characterized by H-1 and C-13 NMR, by and MALDI - TOF MS.

Synthesis of cyclic aryl ether sulfone oligomers through interfacial polycondensation method

Novel cyclic aryl ether sulfone oligomers have been synthesized in high yield based on bisphenol A and 4-fluoro-3-nitrophenyl sulfone firstly through interfacial polycondensation reaction under a pseudo-high-dilution condition. Detailed structural characterization of the oligomers by MS, GPC, NMR and IR analyses confirmed the cyclic nature.

Isothermal and nonisothermal melt crystallization kinetic behavior of poly(aryl ether biphenyl ether ketone ketone): PEDEKK

Isothermal and nonisothermal melt crystallization kinetics of a novel poly(aryl ether ketone), PEDEKK, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. Several kinetic analyses were used to describe the crystallization behavior. The activation energies were determined as 425 and 176 KJ/mol for isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization, respectively. The equilibrium melting point T-m(o) was estimated to be 444 degrees C by using the Hoffman-Weeks approach. The observed crystallization characteristics of PEDEKK were compared with those of the other members of the poly(arpl ether ketone) family.

Physical aging and crystallization of amorphous poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)

Physical aging of poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone) (PEEKK) was investigated. Heat flow responses were measured after annealing the amorphous samples that were obtained by quenching the melt into an ice-water bath at just below the glass transition temperature. Isothermal cold crystallization of the aged samples was carried out. The Avrami equation was used to determine the kinetic parameters, and the Avrami constant it is about 2. An Arrhenius form was used to evaluate the relaxation activation energy of physical aging and the transport activation energy of isothermal crystallization. The activation energy of physical aging was similar in magnitude to that observed for the temperature dependence of crystallization under conditions of transportation control. Results obtained were interpreted as purely kinetic effects associated with the glass formation process. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The synthesis and characterization of the novel poly(aryl ether ketone)s with liquid crystallinity

The novel poly(aryl ether ketone)s with liquid crystallinity were synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reactions of 4,4'-biphenol and substituted hydroquinone with 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone and their thermotropic liquid crystalline properties were characterized by DSC, PLM and WAXD, The copolymers containing 70% biphenol formed nematic phase while the copolymer containing 50% biphenol exhibited smectic texture, The banded textures were formed after shearing the sample in the nematic liquid crystalline state. The identification of the structures in each mesogenic phase has been carried out by combining WAXD with PLM and DSC.

Influence of annealing on structure of poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone) revealed by SAXS

Structural studies of poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone) (PEEKK) using small-angle X-ray scattering and one-dimensional electron density correlation function methods revealed that its aggregated state structure was significantly influenced by the annealing temperature. The long period L, the average thickness of the lamellae d, the electron density difference between the crystalline and amorphous regions eta(c) - eta(a), and the invariant Q increased with increasing annealing temperature, but it was opposite to the case of the specific inner surfaces O-s. A transition zone existed between the traditional "two phases" with a dimension about 0.5 nm for semicrystalline PEEKK. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1829-1835, 1998.

Novel poly(aryl ether ketone)s exhibiting liquid crystallinity

Novel poly(aryl ether ketone)s were synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reactions of difluoromonomer with 4,4'-biphenol and substituted hydroquinone. The results showed that the novel polymers exhibited multiple phase transitions and formed optical birefringence textures above their melting transitions.

The synthesis and thermotropic liquid crystalline behaviour of novel main chain poly(aryl ether ketone)s containing a lateral phenyl group

Novel main chain poly(aryl ether ketone)s containing a lateral phenyl group were synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reactions of 4,4'-biphenol and phenylhydroquinone with either 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone or 1,4-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene and their thermotropic liquid crystalline properties were characterized by a variety of experimental techniques. Thermotropic liquid crystalline behaviour was observed in the copolymers containing 50 and 70mol% biphenol. Melting (T-m) and isotropization (T-i) transitions both appeared on the DSC thermograms. A banded texture was formed after shearing the sample in the liquid crystalline nematic state. As expected, each of the copolymers had a relatively lower melting transition than the biphenol-based homopoly(aryl ether ketone)s because of the copolymerization effect of the crystal-disrupting monomer phenylhydroquinone.

Nonisothermal crystallization behavior of a novel poly(aryl ether ketone): PEDEKmK

Nonisothermal melt crystallization kinetics of PEDEKmK linked by meta-phenyl and biphenyl was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A convenient and reasonable kinetic approach was used to describe the nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior, and its applicability was verified when the modified Avrami analysis by the Jeziorny and Ozawa equation were applied to the crystallization process. The crystallization activation energy was estimated to be -219 kJ/mol by Kissinger method while crystallizing from the PEDEKmK melt nonisothermally. These observed crystallization characteristics were compared to those of the other members of poly(aryl ether ketone) family. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Morphology and structure of poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) containing isophthaloyl moieties crystallized from dilute solution

Spherulites and lamellar single crystals of poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) containing isophthaloyl moieties (PEKK(I)) were obtained from dilute alpha-chloronaphthalene solution. The morphology and structure of the spherulites and single crystals were studied by electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The spherulites were found to consist of elongated lamellar branches that grow with the b crystallographic axis in the radial direction. Single crystals possess a similar habit, with b parallel to the long axis, a transverse, and c perpendicular to the lamellae plane. High-resolution images of the PEKK(I) crystals which show the perfection of and defects in the crystals, were obtained, and many defects or dislocations a,ere observed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Isothermal melt and cold crystallization kinetics of poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone) (PEEKK)

Isothermal melt and cold crystallization kinetics of PEEKK have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry in two temperature regions. During the primary crystallization process, the relative crystallinity develops with a time dependence described by the Avrami equation, with exponent n = 2 for both melt and cold crystallization. The activation energies are -544.5 and 466.7 kJ/mol for crystallization from the melt and amorphous glassy state, respectively. The equilibrium melting point T-m(o) is estimated to be 371 degrees C by using the Hoffman-Weeks approach. The lateral and end surface free energies derived from the Lauritzen-Hoffman spherulitic growth rate equation are sigma=10 erg/cm(2) and sigma(e) = 60 erg/cm(2), respectively. The work of chain folding q is determined as 3.98 kcal/mol. These observed crystallization kinetic characteristics of PEEKK are compared with those of PEEK. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Effect of crystal-disrupting chlorohydroquinone on the first-order transitions of poly(aryl ether ketone)s containing biphenyl units

The novel poly(aryl ether ketone)s were synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reactions of 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone with 4,4'-biphenyldiol and chlorohydroquinone. As expected, the copolymers have lower melting transitions than the biphenyldiol-based homopoly(aryl ether ketone) because of the copolymerization effect of the crystal-disrupting monomer chlorohydroquinone. Copolymers containing 50 and 70% biphenyldiol show two first-order transitions which are associated with the crystal-to-liquid crystal transition and the liquid crystal-to-isotropic transition.