Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

Other

Ici Australia Limited

John B Rose

Ronald George Feasey

Eric Nield

Frederic N Cogswell

Brian P Griffin

Michael B Cinderey

Terence King

Brian N Hendy

Philip A Staniland

John L Freeman

Carl F Mathews

Peter I Vincent

Dennis Arthur Barr

John I Darragh

Philip D Roberts

Leslie R Hoy

Boris Englin

Malcolm P McOnie

James S Pearson

Alan Francis Lennox

Amorphous aromatic etherketone/sulphone copolymers, normally of reduced viscosity.gtoreq.0.8, containing 15 to 70 mole % (preferably 20 to 60 mole %) of repeat units of formula ##STR1## and correspondingly 85 to 30 mole % (preferably 80 to 40 mole %) of repeat units of formula ##STR2##

Aromatic etherketone/sulphone copolymers

A melt-processable composition comprising at least one polymer capable of forming an anisotropic melt and at least one other melt-processable polymer characterized in that the temperature range over which the polymer can form an anisotropic melt overlaps the temperature range over which the melt-processable polymer may be melt processed. The melt viscosity of such compositions may be very much less than that of the melt-processable polymer in the absence of the anisotropic melt-forming polymer particularly at high shear rates, corresponding to those encountered during moulding and extrusion operations. On the other hand at low shear rates and particularly when the concentration of anisotropic melt-forming polymer does not exceed 5% by weight increases in melt viscosity are obtainable which are valuable in fabrication processes operated at low shear rate where retention of form stability is required.

Compositions of melt-processable polymers having improved processability

A melt-processable composition comprising at least one polymer capable of forming an anisotropic melt and at least one other melt-processable polymer characterized in that the temperature range over which the polymer can form an anisotropic melt overlaps the temperature range over which the melt-processable polymer may be melt processed. The melt viscosity of such compositions may be very much less than that of the melt-processable polymer in the absence of the anisotropic melt-forming polymer particularly at high shear rates, corresponding to those encountered during moulding and extrusion operations.

Production of a dihydroxy arylophenone by reacting a diaryl carbonate in the presence of a fluoroalkane sulphonic acid. The diaryl carbonate is preferably diphenyl carbonate, the product so formed being 4,4'-dihydroxy-benzophenone. The sulphonic acid is preferably trifluoromethane sulphonic acid.

Production of dihydroxy arylophenones

A polyaryletherketone polymer which is a hydrophilic sulphonated polymer derived by controllably sulphonating a copolymer having the repeat unit of formula ##STR1## together with the repeat unit of formula ##STR2## at least 70% (preferably substantially all) of the units A being sulphonated after sulphonation and substantially all the units B remaining non-sulphonated after sulphonation. The sulphonation may be effected using 98% w/w concentrated sulphuric acid at an elevated temperature.

Sulphonated polyaryletherketones

Aromatic polysulphones are prepared by the reaction under substantially anhydrous conditions in the presence of a fluoroalkane sulphonic acid, particularly trifluoromethane sulphonic acid or difluoromethane sulphonic acid, of the reactants selected from the following class:

Production of aromatic polysulphones

Production of an aromatic polyketone by reacting in the presence of a fluoroalkane sulphonic acid the reactants selected from: (a) a mixture of (i) at least one aromatic diacyl halide WOC--Ar--COW where --Ar'-- is a divalent aromatic radical, W is halogen and COW is an aromatically bound acyl halide group, which diacyl halide is polymerizable with the at least one aromatic compound of (ii), and (ii) at least one aromatic compound H--Ar'--H where --Ar'-- is a divalent aromatic radical and H is an aromatically bound hydrogen atom, which compound is polymerizable with the at least one diacyl halide of (i); (b) at least one aromatic monoacyl halide H--Ar'--COW where --Ar'-- is a divalent aromatic radical and H, W, and COW are as defined in (a), which monoacyl halide is self-polymerizable; and (c) a combination of (a) and (b).

Production of aromatic polyketones

Production of an aromatic polyketone by reacting in the presence of a quinquevalent phosphorous halide (preferably PCl.sub.5) and a fluoroalkane sulphonic acid (preferably CF.sub.3 SO.sub.2 OH) the reactants selected from: (a) a mixture of (i) at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid HO.sub.2 C--Ar--CO.sub.2 H where --Ar'-- is a divalent aromatic radical and CO.sub.2 H is an aromatically bound carboxylic acid group, which dicarboxylic acid is polymerizable with the at least one aromatic compound of (ii), and (ii) at least one aromatic compound H--Ar'--H where --Ar'-- is a divalent aromatic radical and H is an aromatically bound hydrogen atom, which compound is polymerizable with the at least one dicarboxylic acid of (i); (b) at least one aromatic monocarboxylic acid H--Ar'--CO.sub.2 H where --Ar'-- is a divalent aromatic radical and H and CO.sub.2 H are as defined in (a), which monocarboxylic acid is self-polymerizable; and (c) a combination of (a) and (b).

A ship to shore bridge is movable between a stowed position in which it is received in a recess formed in a quay face and effectively forms a continuation of the quay face along the length of the recess, so that the quay can be used in normal manner, and an operative position in which the ship end of the bridge is moved out of the recess by slewing of the bridge about its shore end, so that the bridge can provide access from the quay to a bow or stern door of a ship berthed alongside the remainder of the quay.

Bridges for providing access from a water-borne craft to the shore

Tough crystalline thermoplastic aromatic polyetherketones containing the repeat units ##STR1## alone or in conjunction with other repeat units especially ##STR2## and having an inherent viscosity IV of at least 0.7, preferably at least 0.8. The polymers may be made by condensation of hydroquinone, 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone and an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate in the presence of an aromatic sulphone solvent, e.g. diphenylsulphone, at 150.degree.-400.degree. C. The polymers are very useful for wire coating.

Thermoplastic aromatic polyetherketones

A polyarylethersulphone copolymer which is a hydrophilic sulphonated copolymer derived by controllably sulphonating a copolymer having the repeat unit of formula ##STR1## together with the repeat unit B of formula ##STR2## substantially all the units A being sulphonated after sulphonation and substantially all the units B remaining non-sulphonated after sulphonation. The sulphonation is effected using 98% w/w sulphuric acid.

Sulphonated polyarylethersulphone copolymers

Block copolymers are prepared by heating at above 250.degree. C. (i) a halophenate, (ii) dihalobenzenoid compound plus bisphenate, and/or (iii) a polymer formed from (i) or (ii) having at least one phenate end group, said halophenate and/or dihalobenzenoid compound containing SO.sub.2 groups ortho or para to the halogen atoms, in the presence of a suspension of a crystalline polyetherketone or etherketone/sulphone copolymer.

Aromatic polymers

A polyaryletherketone polymer which is a hydrophilic sulphonated polymer derived by controllably sulphonating a polymer having the repeat unit of formula ##STR1## alone or in conjunction with the repeat unit of formula ##STR2## the latter units, if present, remaining substantially non-sulphonated after sulphonation. The sulphonation may be effected using 98% w/w concentrated sulphuric acid.

Aromatic polymers containing benzenoid groups and oxygen atoms in the polymer chains are made by the action of an alkali metal hydroxide on a dihalogenobenzenoid compound in which each halogen atom is activated by an inert electron-attracting group such as --SO.sub.2 --. When a bis-(4-halogenophenyl) sulphone is reacted with an alkali metal hydroxide, the alkali metal salt of a 4-(4-halogenophenylsulphonyl)phenol is formed as a readily isolated intermediate which polymerizes in the presence or absence of solvent to give a polymer having repeating units of the structure ##STR1##

Growing community of inventors

Letchworth, United Kingdom

John B Rose