Raychem Limited

Ian D Towle

Patrick J Horner

Partrick J Horner

Aryl-ether-sulphone monomers and aryl-ether-keytone-sulfphone polymers

Preparation of poly(arylene ether ketones)

A method for the preparation of a variety of engineering polymers and copolymers, in particular aromatic polymers and copolymers which comprises reacting a stannylated reactant containing a first monomeric or polymeric moiety with an electrophilic reactant, usually a di(acid chloride) containing a second monomeric or polymeric moiety. The intermediate and second compound react by way of a condensation reaction to eliminate the tin and polymerise together the first and second moieties. Some novel polymers and copolymers can be prepared using this method.

Preparation of organic polymers using metal-capped monomers based on

Organic compounds having aromatic ester, thioester, or carbonate groups are prepared by reacting an organometallic reactant where the metal is germanium, tin, lead, gallium, indium, thallium, arsenic, antimony, or bismuth with a suitable second reactant. For example, the ester ##STR1## is prepared by reacting the bis-tri--n-butyl tin derivative of ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate with 4-phenoxybenzoyl chloride.

Preparation of monomers

Preparation of organic polymers using organometallic capped monomers to

Partially crystalline polyaryletherketones having improved glass transition temperature without unacceptably high melting temperature are produced by incorporating multi-ring aryl moieties (e.g. terphenyls of naphthyls) in the polymer backbone and mono-substituting those or other moieties in the backbone, or arranging the aryl multi-ring groups asymmetrically so as to kink the backbone.

Poly(arylene ether ketones)

Preparation of organic polymers using organometallic terminated blocks

Friedel Crafts preparation of aryl carbonyl compounds having an exceptionally high degree of isomeric purity and freedom from by-products can be achieved by adding to the Lewis acid reaction system a protic controlling agent selected from ROX, water, RCOOX, RSO.sub.3 X, and ROY, wherein R is organic, X is hydrogen or metal, and Y is metal. Contrary to conventional expectation, the protic agent does not significantly alkylate or acylate the Friedel Crafts reaction product.

Preparation of aryl carbonyl compounds

A method for the preparation of a variety of engineering polymers and copolymers, in particular aromatic polymers and copolymers which comprises reacting a stannylated reactant containing a first monomeric or polymeric moiety with an electrophilic reactant, usually a di(acid chloride) containing a second monomeric or polymeric moiety. The intermediate and second compound react by way of a condensation reaction to eliminate the tin and polymerize together the first and second moieties. Some novel polymers and copolymers can be prepared using this method.

Friedel Crafts preparation of arylene ether (especially arylene ether ketone) oligomers with an exceptionally high degree of isomeric purity and freedom from by-products can be achieved by adding to the Lewis acid reaction system a protic controlling agent selected from ROX, water, RCOOX, RSO.sub.3 X, and ROY, wherein R is organic, X is hydrogen or metal, and Y is metal. Contrary to conventional expectation, the protic agent does not significantly acylate or alkylate the Friedel Crafts reaction product, and controlling agents of relatively low molecular weight, e.g., benzoic acid, can surprisingly be selected to produce dispersions of the resulting oligomers.

Preparation of arylene oligomers

Organic compounds having functional groups such as aromatic ester, thioester, or carbonate groups are prepared by reacting an organometallic reactant where the metal is gallium, indium, thallium arsenic, antimony, or bismuth, with a suitable second reactant. For example, the ester ##STR1## can be prepared by reacting an organometallic derivative of hydroquinone with p-phenoxybenzoyl chloride.

Friedel Crafts preparation of arylene ether ketone polymers with an exceptionally high degree of isomeric purity and freedom from by-products can be achieved by adding to the Lewis acid reaction system a protic controlling agent selected from ROX, water, RCOOX, RSO.sub.3 X, and ROY, wherein R is organic, X is hydrogen or metal, and Y is metal. Contrary to conventional expectation, the protic agent does not significantly acylate or alkylate the polymer, and agents of relatively low molecular weight, e.g. benzoic acid, can be selected to produce dispersions of the resulting polymers. The controlling agent also apparently acts to maintain the polymer in solution until a desired molecular weight is reached.

Polyaryletherketones are synthesized by Friedel-Crafts chemistry using a catalytic quantity of a strong acid (e.g. trifluoromethanesulphonic acid) in a solvent of lower acidity preferably comprising a second acid of strength at least equal to chloroacetic acid. Suitable second acids can be recovered for reuse, and only a small (catalytic) amount of the expensive strong acid is required.

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Cirencester, United Kingdom

Ian D Towle