Halide, polymeric

Polyetherimides (PEI) are polyimides containing sufficient ether as well as other flexibi-lizing structural units to impart melt processability by conventional techniques, such as injection molding and extrusion. The commercially available PEI (trade name Ultem) is the polymer synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution between 1,3-bis(4-nitrophthalimido) benzene and the disodium salt of bisphenol A (Eq. 2-209) [Clagett, 1986]. This is the same reaction as that used to synthesize polyethersulfones and polyetherketones (Eq. 2-206) except that nitrite ion is displaced instead of halide. Polymerization is carried out at 80-130°C in a polar solvent (NMP, DMAC). It is also possible to synthesize the same polymer by using the diamine-dianhydride reaction. Everything being equal (cost and availability of pure reactants), the nucleophilic substitution reaction is probably the preferred route due to the more moderate reaction conditions. 

Suppression of water-dependent side reactions (e.g., hydrolysis of acid anhydrides and halides, polymerization of quinones)... 

The cyanogen halides polymerize on standing to the trimers, the cyanuric halides. Cyanamide is converted into the corresponding trimer, melamine, on heating to about 150°C. Isocyanic acid, however, polymerizes far more readily. If urea is distilled, isocyanic acid is formed but polymerizes to cyanuric acid, (NCOH)3, a crystalline solid, the vapour of which, on rapid cooling, yields isocyanic acid as a liquid which, above 0 C, polymerizes explosively to cyamelide, a white porcelain-like solid. This latter material is converted into salts of cyanuric acid by boiling with alkalis. These reactions are summarized in Chart 21.1. Cyanuric derivatives... 

Kishimoto Y, Aoshima S, Higashimura T (1989) Living catitmic polymerizatirai of vinyl monomers by organoaluminum halides. Polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether by EtAlCl2 in the presence of ether additives. Macromolecules 22 3877-3882... 

The halide vapors fall into three groups monomeric transition metal halides, polymeric transition metal halides, and mixed alkali metal-transition metal halides. The first group has received considerable attention and the last is discussed in some detail elsewhere. ... 

Polymerization of olefins such as styrene is promoted by acid or base or sodium catalysts, and polyethylene is made with homogeneous peroxides. Condensation polymerization is catalyzed by acid-type catalysts such as metal oxides and sulfonic acids. Addition polymerization is used mainly for olefins, diolefins, and some carbonyl compounds. For these processes, initiators are coordination compounds such as Ziegler-type catalysts, of which halides of transition metals Ti, V, Mo, and W are important examples. 

The next major commodity plastic worth discussing is polypropylene. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic, crystalline resin. Its production technology is based on Ziegler s discovery in 1953 of metal alkyl-transition metal halide olefin polymerization catalysts. These are heterogeneous coordination systems that produce resin by stereo specific polymerization of propylene. Stereoregular polymers characteristically have monomeric units arranged in orderly periodic steric configuration. 

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