Rigid linear aromatic polyester

Aromatic linear polyester Aromatic linear rigid polyester Aromatic nylon Aromatic polyamides... 

CLASS Polyesters linear aromatic rigid polyesters thermoplastics STRUCTURE O... 

Thermally stable copolymers of 3-(trimethylsiloxyl)- and 3,5-bis(trimethylsiloxyl)benzoyl chloride (4A) or 3-acetoxy- and 3,5-diace-toxy-benzoic acid (4B) were prepared with mole ratios of AB AB2 monomer ranging from 160-5.32 Polymers containing 10-20 mole % of branching monomers were insoluble in CHC13 but soluble in polar solvents, such as A,A-dimethylformamide (DMF) or a mixture of pyridine and benzene. Compared to the linear homopolymer of 3-hydroxy-benzoic acid, the branched polymer showed lower crystallinity and slower crystallization. There was an inverse linear relationship between percent crystallinity and the number of branches in the chain. Similarly, in an attempt to improve moldability and decrease anisotropy of rigid aromatic polyesters, 0.3-10 mole % of 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene, 3,5-di-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid were copolymerized with p-hydroxybenzoic acid/terephthalic acid/4,4 -dihydroxy-diphenyl.33 The branched polymer showed a lower orientation and possessed improved flex properties. 

Rigid linear aromatic polyester Rigid-rod polymers... 

Completely rigid rod-like molecules such as poly(4-oxybenzoyl) or poly( p-phenylene terephthalate) tend to be highly crystalline and intractable, with melting points above the decomposition temperature of the polymers (>450°C). The problem of thermotropic MCLCP design is to disrupt the regularity of the intractable para-linked aromatic polymers to the point at which mesomorphic behaviour is manifested below the decomposition temperature and the materials can be processed in fluid yet ordered states. The disruption must not, however, be taken to the stage where conventional isotropic fluid behaviour is preferred. These requirements that the polymer must retain some rod-like nature but at the same time be melt-processable below 400-450°C have limited thermotropic MCLCPs mainly to polymers based on the linear ester or ester/amide bonds. With polyester/ polyesteramides, disruption is normally achieved by the th ee copolymerization techniques outlined in Fig. 8.1, i.e. frustrated chain packing, flexible spacers and non-linear links. 

Most LC polymers in the market are linear, highly aromatic thermotropic polyesters. They combine chemical stability with chain rigidity and retain dimensional stability (remain as glasses) up to 200°C or 300°C and are also very chemically stable (resistant to oxidation). These types of PLCs, such as the commercial Vectra and Xydar, are usually processed in the melt state with conventional fabrication techniques such as extrusion and molding (see Chapter 14). A major advantage of such polymers is that they can be melt processed and form extranely precise molded structures that do not shrink on cooling. They have been used in molded parts for microelectronics and in mounting brackets for optical communications. 

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