Bisphenol , polymerization

Numerous avenues to produce these materials have been explored (128—138). The synthesis of two new fluorinated bicycHc monomers and the use of these monomers to prepare fluorinated epoxies with improved physical properties and a reduced surface energy have been reported (139,140). The monomers have been polymerized with the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, and the thermal and mechanical properties of the resin have been characterized. The resulting polymer was stable up to 380°C (10% weight loss by tga). 

Polymerization via Nucleophilic Substitution Reaction. Halo- and nitro- groups attached to phthahmide groups are strongly activated toward nucleophilic substitution reactions. Thus polyetherimides ate synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of bishaloimides (59,60) and bisnitroimides (61,62) with anhydrous bisphenol salts in dipolar aptotic solvents. 

DMSO is an effective solvent for the polymerization as it affords good solubiUty for both the polymer and disodium bisphenol A [2444-90-8]. Typical polymerization temperatures for polysulfone are in the range 130—160°C. At temperatures below 130°C, the polymerization slows down considerably due to poor solubiUty of the disodium bisphenol A salt. 

The reaction of NaOH with bisphenol A generates water. This water must be thoroughly removed from the system to allow the reaction to be driven to completion, and more importandy, to preclude any residual water in the system from hydrolyzing part of the DCDPS monomer (2). Before the introduction of DCDPS for the polymerization step, all but traces of water must be removed. Failure to do so results in regeneration of NaOH, which rapidly reacts with DCDPS to form the monosodium salt of 4-chloro-4 -hydroxydiphenylsulfone [18995-09-0] (3) (6). 

NMP are examples of suitable solvents for PES and PPSF polymerizations. Chlorobenzene or toluene are used as cosolvents at low concentrations. These cosolvents form an azeotrope with water as they distill out of the reaction mixture, thereby keeping the polymerization medium dehydrated. Potassium carbonate is a suitable choice for base. The synthesis of PES and PPSE differ from the PSE case in that the reaction is carried out in a single-step process. In other words, the formation of the dipotassium salt of the bisphenol is not completed in a separate first step. Equations 2 and 3 represent polymerizations based on the dipotassium salts of bisphenol S and biphenol to make PES and PPSE, respectively. 

The addition—reaction product of bisphenol A [80-05-07] and glycidyl methacrylate [106-91-2] is a compromise between epoxy and methacrylate resins (245). This BSI—GMA resin polymerizes through a free-radical induced covalent bonding of methacrylate rather than the epoxide reaction of epoxy resins (246). Mineral fillers coated with a silane coupling agent, which bond the powdered inorganic fillers chemically to the resin matrix, are incorporated into BSI—GMA monomer diluted with other methacrylate monomers to make it less viscous (245). A second monomer commonly used to make composites is urethane dimethacrylate [69766-88-7]. 

Commercial aromatic polyester resins or polyarylates are a combination of bisphenol A with isophthahe acid or terephthahe acid (79). The resins are made commercially by solution polymerization or melt transesterification (47). 

Bisphenol A Polycarbonate Resins. These resins are manufactured by interfacial polymerization (84,85). A small amount of resin is produced by melt-polymerization of bisphenol with diphenyl carbonate in Russia and the People s RepubHc of China. Melt technology continues to be developmental in Japan and the West, but no commercial activities have started-up to date, although some were active in the late 1960s. No reports of solvent-based PC manufacture have been received. 

The terminal R groups can be aromatic or aliphatic. Typically, they are derivatives of monohydric phenoHc compounds including phenol and alkylated phenols, eg, /-butylphenol. In iaterfacial polymerization, bisphenol A and a monofunctional terminator are dissolved in aqueous caustic. Methylene chloride containing a phase-transfer catalyst is added. The two-phase system is stirred and phosgene is added. The bisphenol A salt reacts with the phosgene at the interface of the two solutions and the polymer "grows" into the methylene chloride. The sodium chloride by-product enters the aqueous phase. Chain length is controlled by the amount of monohydric terminator. The methylene chloride—polymer solution is separated from the aqueous brine-laden by-products. The facile separation of a pure polymer solution is the key to the interfacial process. The methylene chloride solvent is removed, and the polymer is isolated in the form of pellets, powder, or slurries. 

Bisphenol F Resin. Bisphenol F [2467-02-9] epoxy resin is of the same general stmcture as the epoxy phenol novolaks. Bisphenol F is 2,2Emethylene bisphenol. Whereas the epoxy phenol novolaks vary from viscous Hquids to soHd materials, the bisphenol F resin has a low viscosity (ca 4 Pa-s (40 P)) and 165 epoxy equivalent weight. Its n value (degree of polymerization) is about 0.15 and crystallization, often a problem with low viscosity conventional bisphenol A resins, is reduced with the bisphenol F resin. 

Advancement Process. In the advancement process, sometimes referred to as the fusion method, Hquid epoxy resin (cmde diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A) is chain-extended with bisphenol A in the presence of a catalyst to yield higher polymerized products. The advancement reaction is conducted at elevated temperatures (175—200°C) and is monitored for epoxy value and viscosity specifications. The finished product is isolated by cooling and cmshing or flaking the molten resin or by allowing it to soHdify in containers. 

The degree of polymerization is dictated by the ratio of Hquid resin (cmde DGEBPA) to bisphenol A an excess of the former provides epoxy terminal groups. The actual molecular weights attained depend on the purity of the starting material. Reactive monofunctional groups act as chain terrninators. 

Recently, Dutta and Maiti [21] reported nitro displacement polymerization of the bisphenol dianion with the sulfone activated dinitro aromatic compounds. In addition, there have been recent reports of the development of functionalized PEEK [22] and polyether sulfone ketone (PESK) [23] that are comparable to commercially available high performance polymers. 

Diphenol/thiophenol is one of the most important polymer precursors for synthesis of poly(aryl ethers) or poly-(aryl sulfides) in displacement polymerizations. Commonly used bisphenols are 4,4 -isopropylidene diphenol or bisphenol-A (BPA) due to their low price and easy availability. Other commercial bisphenols have also been reported [7,24,25]. Recently, synthesis of poly(aryl ethers) by the reaction of new bisphenol monomers with activated aromatic dihalides has been reported. The structures of the polymer precursors are described in Table 2. Poly(aryl ether phenylquinoxalines) have been synthesized by Connell et al. [26], by the reaction of bisphenols containing a preformed quinoxaline ring with... 

Polyphosphates are also an important class of organophosphorus polymers. In addition to their flame-retardant characteristics, they possess attractive plasticizing properties and can be used as polymeric additives to other polymers [123-128]. In general, polyphosphates can be prepared by interfacial [119,129], melt [130], or solution polycondensation [131,132a,b]. Kricheldorf and Koziel [133] prepared polyphosphates from silylated bisphenols. 

The reaction generates easily oxidizable alkali phenates. Thus, the polymerization must be conducted in an inert atmosphere. The sodium and potassium salts of the bisphenols are widely used because they are more soluble in polar aprotic solvents. 

Other salts, especially fluoride salts, (e.g., KF) can be used to perform nucleophilic substitution. As is well known, halides, and particularly the fluoride anions, are rather powerful Lewis bases and can exert a catalytic effect on aromatic nucleophilic substitutions in dipolar aprotic solvents. Phenols can be alkylated in the presence of KF (or CsF) absorbed on Celite64,65 or Et4NF.66 Taking advantage of this reaction, halophenols and dihalides with bisphenols have been successfully polymerized in sulfolane at 220-280°C by using KF as the base. 

Dichloro monomers can also be polymerized with bisphenols in the presence of fluorides as promoting agents.78 The fluoride ions promote the displacement of the chloride sites to form more reactive fluoride sites, which react with phenolate anion to form high-molecular-weight polymers. Adding 5-10 mol % phase transfer catalysts such as A-alkyl-4-(dialkylamino)pyridium chlorides significantly increased the nucleophilicity and solubility of phenoxide anion and thus shortened the reaction time to one fifth of the uncatalyzed reaction to achieve the same molecular weight.79... 

The Ullman reaction has long been known as a method for the synthesis of aromatic ethers by the reaction of a phenol with an aromatic halide in the presence of a copper compound as a catalyst. It is a variation on the nucleophilic substitution reaction since a phenolic salt reacts with the halide. Nonactivated aromatic halides can be used in the synthesis of poly(arylene edier)s, dius providing a way of obtaining structures not available by the conventional nucleophilic route. The ease of halogen displacement was found to be the reverse of that observed for activated nucleophilic substitution reaction, that is, I > Br > Cl F. The polymerizations are conducted in benzophenone with a cuprous chloride-pyridine complex as a catalyst. Bromine compounds are the favored reactants.53,124 127 Poly(arylene ether)s have been prepared by Ullman coupling of bisphenols and... 

Preparation of siloxane-carbonate segmented copolymers by interfacial polymerization involves the reaction of carboxypropyl-terminated siloxane oligomers with bisphenol-A and phosgene, in the presence of a strong base and a phase transfer catalyst, in water/methylene chloride solvent system l50 192), as shown in Reaction Scheme XIV. 

Poly(arylester)-polysiloxane multiblock copolymers have also been synthesized by the interfacial polymerization of aminopropyl terminated polysiloxane oligomers with bisphenol-A and a mixture of isophthaloyl and terephthaloyl chlorides117, 193-1951 as illustrated in Reaction Scheme XV. In these reactions the poly(arylester) blocks are formed in situ during the copolymerization, so the control of their block sizes is not very precise. It is also important to note that since aminopropyl terminated siloxane oligomers are employed, the linkages which connect the arylester and siloxane blocks are amide linkages. 

Various bisphenol derivatives were also polymerized by peroxidase under selected reaction conditions, yielding soluble phenolic polymers. Bisphenol-A was polymerized by peroxidase catalyst to give a polymer soluble in acetone, DMF, DMSO, and methanol. The polymer was produced in higher yields using SBP as a catalyst. This polymer showed a molecular weight of 4 x 10 and a 7g at 154°C. The HRP-catalyzed polymerization of 4,4 -biphenol produced a polymer showing high thermal stability. ... 

Peroxidase also induced the polymerization of an industrial product, bisphenol-F, consisting of 2,2 -, 2,4 -, and 4,4 -dihydroxydiphenylmethanes. Under the selected reaction conditions, the quantitative formation of a soluble... 

Diphenylcarbonate (DPC) is a key monomer for producing LEXAN polycarbonate resin by melt polymerization reaction of DPC with Bisphenol A. Currently, DPC is produced by General Electric Company (GE) in Cartagena, Spain, using a two-step process (Eq. 1) The stoichiometric carbonylation of... 

Bisphenol A, whose official chemical name is 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, is a difunctional monomer with two reactive hydroxyl groups, as shown in Fig. 20,2. It polymerizes svith dicarbonyl organic monomers, such as phosgene or diphenyl carbonate, which are illustrated in Fig. 20.3. During polymerization, shown in Fig. 20.4, the hydroxyl groups of the bisphenol A deprotonate in the presence of a base. After deprotonation, the oxygen atoms on the bisphenol A residue form ester bonds with the dicarbonyl compounds. The polymerization process terminates when a monohydric phenol reacts with the growing chain end. 

Figure 20.4 Polymerization of polycarbonate from bisphenol A and phosgene...

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