Molecular weight distribution condensation polymers

Howardt describes a model system used to test the molecular weight distribution of a condensation polymer The polymer sample was an acetic acid-stabilized equilibrium nylon-6,6. Analysis showed it to have the following end group composition (in equivalents per 10 g) acetyl = 28.9,... 

It is also possible to prepare them from amino acids by the self-condensation reaction (3.12). The PAs (AABB) can be prepared from diamines and diacids by hydrolytic polymerization [see (3.12)]. The polyamides can also be prepared from other starting materials, such as esters, acid chlorides, isocyanates, silylated amines, and nitrils. The reactive acid chlorides are employed in the synthesis of wholly aromatic polyamides, such as poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide) in (3.4). The molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of these polymers follows the classical theory of molecular weight distribution and is nearly always in the region of 2. In some cases, such as PA-6,6, chain branching can take place and then the Mw/Mn ratio is higher. 

Although polymers in-service are required to be resistant toward hydrolysis and solar degradation, for polymer deformulation purposes hydrolysis is an asset. Highly crystalline materials such as compounded polyamides are difficult to extract. For such materials hydrolysis or other forms of chemolysis render additives accessible for analysis. Polymers, which may profitably be depolymerised into their monomers by hydrolysis include PET, PBT, PC, PU, PES, POM, PA and others. Hydrolysis occurs when moisture causes chain scissions to occur within the molecule. In polyesters, chain scissions take place at the ester linkages (R-CO-O-R ), which causes a reduction in molecular weight as well as in mechanical properties. Polyesters show their susceptibility to hydrolysis with dramatic shifts in molecular weight distribution. Apart from access to the additives fraction, hydrolysis also facilitates molecular characterisation of the polymer. In this context, it is noticed that condensation polymers (polyesters, -amides, -ethers, -carbonates, -urethanes) have also been studied much... 

Failure to remove the alcohols generated in either of the equilibrium condensation steps will reduce the efficiency of the polymerization process. This effect can be explained by Le Chatelier s principle, which was discussed in Chapter 3. The volatile alcohols produced during polymerization act as a chemical stress on the product side of the reaction, which inhibits polymerization. Another implication of the equilibrium nature of this polymerization process is seen in the molecular weight distribution of the final polymer. All polyesters contain a few percent of low molecular weight oligomers, regardless of the polymerization process. 

Flory, P. J., Random reorganization of molecular weight distribution in linear condensation polymers, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 64, 2205-2212 (1942). 

When Paul Flory wrote his famous book Principles of Polymer Chemistry in 1952, he indicated an alternative scheme for polymer synthesis [1]. He theorized about synthesizing condensation polymers from multifunctional monomers. These polymers were predicted to have a broad molecular weight distribution and to be non-entangled and non-crystalline due to their highly branched structure. However, they were considered to be less interesting since they would provide materials with poor mechanical strength, and at that time Flory did not feel it was worthwhile pursuing this line of research. 

Howard, G. J., The Molecular Weight Distribution of Condensation Polymers, Vol. I, pp. 185-231 in Progress in High Polymers, J. C. Robb and F. W. Peaker, eds., Iliffe Books, London, 1961. 

Condensation polymerization of functional ferrocenes generally yields medium- or low-molecular-weight polymers with broad molecular-weight distributions.12 For example, ferrocenylcarbinol, 6.9, has been condensation-polymerized to polymers 6.10 and 6.11 in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate or zinc chloride (reaction (5)).910 Species 6.11... 

An interesting thing is that the polyether with low polydispersity from chain-growth condensation polymerization possessed higher crystallinity than the one with broad molecular weight distribution from conventional step-growth condensation polymerization. The XRD pattern of the former polymer showed a stronger intensity, and the DSC profile showed the... 

Catalysts obtained from metal alkyl and a bi- or trifunctional protic compound, e.g. in systems such as AlEt3—H20 [17], ZnEt2—H20 [16] and ZnEt2—Ar(OH)3 [31], which are characterised by the appearance of associated multinuclear species with condensed metal atoms ( Mt—O—Mt—O ), also form epoxide polymers with a very high molecular weight and broad molecular weight distribution therefore, in this case also, only a small fraction of the metal species in the catalyst is effective for the polymerisation. 

Liquid crystallinity can be attained in polymers of various polymer architectures, allowing the chemist to combine properties of macromolecules with the anisotropic properties of LC-phases. Mesogenic imits can be introduced into a polymer chain in different ways, as outhned in Fig. 1. For thermotropic LC systems, the LC-active units can be connected directly to each other in a condensation-type polymer to form the main chain ( main chain liquid crystalline polymers , MCLCPs) or they can be attached to the main chain as side chains ( side chain liquid crystalline polymers , SCLCPs). Calamitic (rod-Uke) as well as discotic mesogens have successfully been incorporated into polymers. Lyotropic LC-systems can also be formed by macromolecides. Amphiphihc block copolymers show this behavior when they have well-defined block structures with narrow molecular weight distributions. 

The yields of high polymer from this synthesis depend on the exact conditions and the nature of the substituent groups, but are typically low, from a few percent up to 60-70% in the most favorable cases. The by-products are mainly cyclosilanes, (RR Si) where n = 4 6. The molecular weight distributions of the polymers obtained by this procedure are usually bimodal, as shown in Figure 5 Various attempts have been made to improve the sodium condensation, including sonication and the addition of crown ethers and other additives, with some success. ... 

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