Polyethers crystalline

Du Pont—Hytrel (polyether-crystalline polyester thermoplastic rubber). 

Examples of polymers which form anisotropic polymer melts iaclude petroleum pitches, polyesters, polyethers, polyphosphaziaes, a-poly- -xyljlene, and polysdoxanes. Synthesis goals iaclude the iacorporation of a Hquid crystal-like entity iato the maia chaia of the polymer to iacrease the strength and thermal stabiHty of the materials that are formed from the Hquid crystal precursor, the locking ia of Hquid crystalline properties of the fluid iato the soHd phase, and the production of extended chain polymers that are soluble ia organic solvents rather than sulfuric acid. 

Physical properties, which depend on molecular weight, the nature of the alkyl group, the nature of the initiator, stereospecificity, and crystallinity, range from viscous Hquids, through sticky Hquids and mbbery soHds, to brittie soHds. Polyethers with long alkyl side chains are waxy, however, as the alkyl group in such cases dominates physical properties. 

Polyethers such as monensin, lasalocid, salinomycin, and narasin are sold in many countries in crystalline or highly purified forms for incorporation into feeds or sustained-release bolus devices (see Controlled-RELEASE technology). There are also mycelial or biomass products, especially in the United States. The mycelial products are generally prepared by separation of the mycelium and then drying by azeotropic evaporation, fluid-bed driers, continuous tray driers, flash driers, and other types of commercial driers (163). In countries allowing biomass products, crystalline polyethers may be added to increase the potency of the product. 

Commercial thermoplastic polyesters are synthesized in a similar way by the reaction of a relatively high molecular-weight polyether glycol with butanediol and dimethyl terephthalate (14,15). The polyether chain becomes the soft segment in the final product, whereas the terephthaUc acid—butanediol copolymer forms the hard crystalline domains. 

The minimum service temperature is determined primarily by the Tg of the soft phase component. Thus the SBS materials ctm be used down towards the Tg of the polybutadiene phase, approaching -100°C. Where polyethers have been used as the soft phase in polyurethane, polyamide or polyester, the soft phase Tg is about -60°C, whilst the polyester polyurethanes will typically be limited to a minimum temperature of about 0°C. The thermoplastic polyolefin rubbers, using ethylene-propylene materials for the soft phase, have similar minimum temperatures to the polyether-based polymers. Such minimum temperatures can also be affected by the presence of plasticisers, including mineral oils, and by resins if these become incorporated into the soft phase. It should, perhaps, be added that if the polymer component of the soft phase was crystallisable, then the higher would also affect the minimum service temperature, this depending on the level of crystallinity. 

Block copolymers can contain crystalline or amorphous hard blocks. Examples of crystalline block copolymers are polyurethanes (e.g. B.F. Goodrich s Estane line), polyether esters (e.g. Dupont s Hytrel polymers), polyether amides (e.g. Atofina s Pebax grades). Polyurethanes have enjoyed limited utility due to their relatively low thermal stability use temperatures must be kept below 275°F, due to the reversibility of the urethane linkage. Recently, polyurethanes with stability at 350°F for nearly 100 h have been claimed [2]. Polyether esters and polyether amides have been explored for PSA applications where their heat and plasticizer resistance is a benefit [3]. However, the high price of these materials and their multiblock architecture have limited their use. All of these crystalline block copolymers consist of multiblocks with relatively short, amorphous, polyether or polyester mid-blocks. Consequently they can not be diluted as extensively with tackifiers and diluents as styrenic triblock copolymers. Thereby it is more difficult to obtain strong, yet soft adhesives — the primary goals of adding rubber to hot melts. 

Polyester diols are often combined with polyether diols to provide green strength through crystallization or elevated r . Most prevalent and least expensive is hexamethylene diol adipate (HDA) with a Tm of about 60°C. A variety of polyesters are available with various levels of crystallinity — from wax-like to amorphous — and crystallization rate, and with values ranging well below 0°C to above room temperature. Polybutadiene diols are the most expensive and most hydrophobic. They provide low surface tension and thus good wet out of non-polar surfaces. 

Poly(tetramethylene oxide) polyols (PTMEG) are high performance polyethers that are crystalline waxes at molecular weights above 650 and liquids at lower molecular weights. They are only available as diols, but they produce adhesives with good hydrolysis resistance and moisture resistance, which is why these adhesives are even used in medical devices, blood bags, catheters, and heart-assist devices [25]. Certain thermoplastic polyurethane adhesives and solvent-borne adhesives are also based on PTMEG s. 

In 1975, Weber and Vogtle showed that open-chained polyethers, 2,6-pyridine-dimethanol, and ortho-xylene derivatives terminated in an 8-quinolinyl group could form stable, 1 1, crystalline complexes with a variety of metal salts. The podands were prepared from 8-hydroxyquinoline and the corresponding dihalides. A typical example is shown in Eq. (7.10). 

Polyetherimides show no crystallinity as evidenced from calorimetry measurements. The heteroarylene like phenylquinoxaline [27], oxadiazole [30], and benzoxa-zole [56] activated polyethers show TgS from DSC thermograms, with no evidence of crystallization, indicating amorphous or glassy morphology. Furthermore, wide angle x-ray scattering measurements show no evidence of crystalline or liquid crystalline type morphologies, consistent with an amorphous structure. F polyether... 

Increasing the molecular weight of polyester (or polyether) or changing its chemical composition could lower the Tg of the TPU and decrease the crystallinity of the polymer. For example, a TPU composed of poly(S-lactone), MDI, and 1,4-butanediol was found to have the lowest degree of crystallinity and, therefore, the best compatibility with PVC when the hard segment in it is 36% by weight [10]. 

Poly(ether ester) (PEE) copolymers were consisted of soft segments of polyethers and hard crystalline segments of polyesters. Depending on the polyether/polyester ratio, PEE copolymers exhibit a wide range of mechanical behavior combined with solvent resistance, thermal stability, and ease of melt process ability. 

The nature of the hard domains differs for the various block copolymers. The amorphous polystyrene blocks in the ABA block copolymers are hard because the glass transition temperature (100°C) is considerably above ambient temperature, i.e., the polystyrene blocks are in the glassy state. However, there is some controversy about the nature of the hard domains in the various multiblock copolymers. The polyurethane blocks in the polyester-polyurethane and polyether-polyurethane copolymers have a glass transition temperature above ambient temperature but also derive their hard behavior from hydrogen-bonding and low levels of crystallinity. The aromatic polyester (usually terephthalate) blocks in the polyether-polyester multiblock copolymer appear to derive their hardness entirely from crystallinity. 

Parallel studies on PAMAM dendrimers, the Frechet type polyether den-drons, and other dendrimer families have generated an extensive list of unique properties driven by the dendritic state/ Figure 1.18 compares several significant physical property differences between the linear and dendritic topologies related to conformations, crystallinity, solubilities, intrinsic viscosities, entanglement, diffusion/mobility and electronic conductivity. 

Percec et al. have described the possibility of making hyperbranched polymers which exhibit liquid crystalline phases [34, 35]. They made hyperbranched polyethers based on an A B monomer having both a spacer and a... 

Some particularities of the extraction of ions from an aqueous organic phase, and of the phase catalyzed polyetherification will be summarized. These will represent the fundamentals of our work on the synthesis of some novel classes of functional polymers and sequential copolymers. Examples will be provided for the synthesis of functional polymers containing only cyclic imino ethers or both cyclic imino ethers as well as their own cationic initiator attached to the same polymer backbone ABA triblock copolymers and (AB)n alternating block copolymers and a novel class of main chain thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers containing functional chain ends, i.e., polyethers. 

Three major topics of research which are based on phase transfer catalyzed reactions will be presented with examples. These refer to the synthesis of functional polymers containing functional groups (i.e., cyclic imino ethers) sensitive both to electrophilic and nucleophilic reagents a novel method for the preparation of regular, segmented, ABA triblock and (A-B)n alternating block copolymers, and the development of a novel class of main chain thermotropic liquid-crystalline polymers, i.e., polyethers. 

Recently we have developed a new class of thermotropic liquid crystalline (LC) main-chain pol3rmers, i.e., polyethers of mesogenic bis-phenols(16-17.23-26). Since the obtained polymers are not soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents, the only available synthetic avenue for their preparation consists in the phase transfer catalyzed polyetherification. 

The checkers prepared a crystalline complex of potassium acetate with isomer B of dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 polyether by the following procedure. To a stirred solution of 15.0 g. (0.0404 mole) of dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 polyether (mixture of isomers) in 50 ml. of methanol was added a solution of 5.88 g. (0.0600 mole) of anhydrous potassium acetate (dried at 100° under reduced pressure) in 35 ml. of methanol. The resulting solution was concentrated under reduced pressure with a rotary evaporator, and the residual white solid was extracted with 35 ml. of boiling methylene chloride. The resulting mixture was filtered and the filtrate was cooled in a dry ice-acetone bath and slowly diluted with petroleum ether (b.p. 30-60°, approximately 200 ml. was required) to initiate crystallization. The... 

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