Additive Effects of Functional Polymers

The viscosity varied also with the amounts of pyridines, and the polymer of higher viscosity was obtained in the wide range of pyridine content (Py/P4VP = 6—26). Further amounts did not give favorable results (Table 4). 

No significant effects of molecular weights of P4VP upon those of polymer produced were observed, and suggested that the polycondensation reaction promoted by P4VP may not be a matrix polycondensation in which the molecular weight of the polymer formed can be dependent on the molecular weight of polymer used as matrix. 

Several aromatic polyamides from aromatic dicarboxyiic acids and diamines were prepared by the reaction in the presence of P4VP (MW = 1.0 x 10s), and the results were summarized in Table 5. Combination of TPA with diamines, especially with MDA and 4,4 -diaminodiphenylether, gave polymers of satisfactory viscosities up to five times higher than those obtained in the absence of the matrix. On the other hand, the reactions of IPA and diamines, and of p- and m-ABA were almost not affected by P4VP. 

Optimum rjjnh was obtained by 0.5 wt-% of PEO, corresponding to half a unit mole equivalent of TPA (Table 6). The viscosity of polymer produced increased, though not so markedly, with molecular weight of PEO, showing maximum values by the use of PEO in the range of 2.0 x 104 to 5.0 x 10s. The polycondensation reaction in the presence of PEO was affected by the amount of LiCl added, and the most favorable results were obtained by the presence of more than 6 wt-% LiCl, which was higher than about 2 wt-% for the reaction in the absence of PEO. 

These better results obtained by PEO and LiCl may be due to an effective adsorption of TPA on PEO through solvated lithium ion. 

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