Production of dihydropyridacene polymers which are free of inter-molecular cross-linking

Abstract

Abstract A PROCESS IS PROVIDED FOR THE CONVERSION OF AN ACRYLIC POLYMER TO A FORM EXHIBITING INCREASED THERMAL STABILITY WHEREIN PENDANT NITRILE GROUPS ARE CATALYTICALLY CYCLIZED TO FORM A PRODUCT WHICH IS FREE OF INTER-MOLECULAR CROSSLINKING. THE CYCLIZATION REACTION IS CONDUCTED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE IN AN OXYGEN-FREE ZONE IN THE HOMOGENEOUS PHASE AND IS CATALYZED BY AN ORGANIC CYCLIZATION PROMOTING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A CARBOXYLIC ACID, A SULFONIC ACID, AND A PHENOL, OR ALTERNATIVELY BY THE USE OF A LEWIS ACID CYCLIZATION PROMOTING AGENT IN COMBINATION WITH THE ORGANIC CYCLIZATION PROMOTING AGENT. THE RESULTING POLYMERIC PRODUCT MAY BE UTILIZED AS AN ADHESIVE, A COATING POLYMER, A MATRIX POLYMER, OR FORMED INTO SHAPED ARTICLES, SUCH AS FIBERS OR FILMS WHEN OF SUFFICIENT MOLECULAR WEIGHT. IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PROCESS AN ACRYLONITRILE HOMOPOLYMER IS FULLY CYCLIZED TO FORM POLYDIHYDROPYRIDACENE HOMOPOLYMER WHICH IS FREE OF INTER-MOLECULAR CROSS-LINKING.

Inventors

• 👤 K Gump
• 👤 D Stuetz

Bibliographic Details