PREPARATION OF POLYAMIDES DERIVED FROM 1,6-DIAMANTANE DICARBOXYLIC CHLORIDE BY SOLUTION POLYCONDENSATION AND INTERFACIAL POLYCONDENSATION

1,6-Diamantane dicarboxylic acyl chloride (I) was used as a monomer with various aromatic diamines to synthesize polyamides by interfacial polycondensation and solution polycondensation. The polyamides prepared by interfacial polycondensation had inherent viscosities between 0.38 and 0.15 dL/g. The polyamides prepared by solution polycondensation had inherent viscosities between 0.62 and 0.25 dL/g. The polyamide IIIa prepared by solution polycondensation showed the main melting transition at 380 degrees C by dynamic mechanical analysis. In addition, it was quite temperature-stable and maintained good mechanical properties (G' similar to 10(8) Pa) up to high temperatures close to the main transition well above 350 degrees C. The polyamide IIIa had a tensile strength of 35 MPa, elongations to break of 10%, and initial modulus of 0.8 GPa. Some of the polyamides were soluble in NMP, DMAc, and DMSO, depending on soft segment moiety of diamine (II). The polyamides prepared by interfacial polycondensation have a greater tendency to form crystal than those prepared by solution polycondensation, as evidenced by x-ray diffraction studies. These polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the 270-300 degrees C range, and 5% weight loss temperatures up to 435 degrees C in nitrogen. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.