Polysulfones as a reinforcement in high temperature polymer blends

Key words polysulfone, membrane, thermoset, impact-modified, 

The general term polysulfone describes an entire family of thermoplastic polymers which are melt processable. The polymers are particularly known for their toughness and stability at high temperatures. They contain the subunit aryl-S02-aryl, the defining feature of which is the sulfone group. This chapter will discuss blends of polysulfone polymers with other polymers, both thermoplastics and thermosets, and the results obtained from the production of such mixtures. 

The general chemical structure of polysulfone is shown in Fig. 6.1. It is an amorphous polymer that has a glass transition temperature or of about 185°C. Due to the aromatic backbones present in the chemical structure, polysulfones typically possess high stiffness and strength. Articles made from polysulfone have excellent transparency features. 

Polysulfone is highly resistant to mineral acids, alkali and electrolyte materials. It is resistant to oxidizing agents, surfactants and hydrocarbon 

The use of polysulfone allows for the easy manufacturing of membranes with controllable size of pores down to 40 nanometers. Such membranes are used in applications such as hemodialysis, waste water recovery, food and beverage processing, and gas separation. Also, polysulfone can be reinforced with glass fibers to form composite materials. Further, it is used as a dielectric material in capadtor applications. 

---

Polysulfones as a reinforcement in high temperature polymer blends... 

---