GB1117327A - Poly-(phenylene oxides) - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention comprises amorphous poly-(phenylene oxides) containing from 0 to 75 mole per cent para-phenylene oxide units with the remainder being ortho-phenylene oxide units, in which up to 30% of the units may carry the side groups phenyl, carbonylaryl or sulphonylaryl, the polymer having a softening range below 150 DEG C., an inherent viscosity measured as a 1% solution of polymer in sulphuric acid of at least 0.3, complete solubility in benzene at 25 DEG C., and a temperature of at least 500 DEG C. for a 10% weight loss in air, as determined by Thermogravimetric Analysis at a rate of temperature rise of 5 DEG C. per minute. The polymers are prepared from very pure potassium o- and p-chlorophenolates containing not more than 0.05% of water, in the presence of 0.01 to 0.5 mole per cent of a cuprous or cupric salt and of 2 to 100 weight per cent of pyridine or quinoline, in the absence of oxygen and air, by heating to 160 DEG to 175 DEG C. for 2 to 24 hours and then at 200 DEG to 275 DEG C. for one or more hours. The molecular weight of the polymer may be increased by dissolving it in a solvent and oxidizing with sodium hypochlorite or lead tetraacetate, or with oxygen and cuprous chloride or potassium ferricyanide, or with lead dioxide and caustic alkali. The polymer may be cured by heating with dicumyl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide or azobisiso-butyronitrile. In examples, the purified potassium salts of p-chlorophenol, o-chlorophenol, 2 - chloro - 4 - phenyl phenol, 2 - chloro - 6-phenyl phenol, 2 - benzenesulphonyl - 4 - chlorophenol and 2 - benzoyl - chlorophenol, are heated in the presence of cuprous chloride and pyridine (in some instances pyridine is present in some of the monomers as pyridine of crystallization); the molecular weight of two polymers is increased by reacting them in solution with sodium hypochlorite and with cuprous chloride and oxygen.ALSO:Polyphenylene oxide polymers containing 0 to 75 mole percent paraphenylene oxide units with the remainder being ortho-phenylene oxide units, in which up to 30 percent of the units may carry the side groups phenyl, carboxyl aryl or sulphonyl aryl, may be coated on metal, ceramic, glass, plastics and laminate surfaces. In an Example a polymer containing 60 percent para- and 40 percent ortho-phenylene oxide units is dissolved in methylene chloride and xylene, t-butyl peroxide is added and the composition is coated on aluminium sheet and heated.