INSITU DIRECT POLYCONDENSATION IN POLYMER MATRICES .2. INSITU DIRECT POLYCONDENSATION IN STYRENE-BUTADIENE BLOCK COPOLYMERS

Direct polycondensation of 3-substituted-4-hydroxybenzoic acid was carried out in solutions of styrene-butadiene block copolymers (SBS) at room temperature in the presence of triphenylphosphine and hexachloroethane as an initiator for the direct polycondensation of these monomers. Solution casting after the direct polycondensation provided opaque films in which the aromatic polyester was finely dispersed within the matrix of SBS. Mechanical properties of these films were examined by tensile tests. A great improvement of tensile strength was achieved by the incorporation of phenyl substituent in the resulting polyester. In-situ direct polycondensation leads to the formation of new composites of rigid polymers and flexible polymers.