SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SULFONE-CONTAINING POLYESTERS DERIVED FROM 4,4'-DICARBOXYDIPHENYL SULFONE BY DIRECT POLYCONDENSATION

Several sulfone-containing polyesters having inherent viscosities 0.43-0.19 dL g-l were prepared by direct polycondensation of 4,4'-dicarboxydiphenyl sulfone (DCDPS) with various aromatic and aliphatic diols, by p-toluenesulfonyl chloride and N,N'-dimethylforamide in pyridine solution. The polyesters were examined by elementary analysis, IR spectra, inherent viscosity, x-ray diffraction, solubility, DSC, and TGA. The diffraction diagram showed that all polyesters were crystalline except that obtained from bisphenol-A. All polymers were soluble in sulfonic acid (18M), phenol, and p-chlorophenol, but not in acetone and toluene. These polymers obtained from aromatic bisphenols lost no mass below 325 degrees C, but 10% loss of mass was recorded above 396 degrees C in nitrogen. DCDPS copolymerized with isophthalic acid (IPA) and bisphenol-A had inherent viscosity up to 0.49 dL g(-1), ($) over bar M(w) = 5.2 X 10(4) with relatively narrow distribution of molar mass (($) over bar M(w)/($) over bar M(n) = 1.9). (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.