Synthesis and characterization of very high molecular weight nylon 4 and nylon 4/6 copolymers

Abstract

Potassium tert-butoxide (t-BuOK) with CO2 or benzoyl chloride (BzC) as a polymerization initiator system was used with crown ether or TMAC as catalyst to synthesize very high molecular weight nylon 4 homo- and copolymers by anionic ring opening polymerization. Effect of different amounts of catalyst, crown ether and TMAC on the polymerization was studied in terms of intrinsic viscosity, yield and thermal properties. By adding crown ether or TMAC, polymers with very higher intrinsic viscosity values were obtained in a high yield. It was possible to synthesize nylon 4 homopolymer with such a high intrinsic viscosity value of 6.36 dL/g. Crown ether was found to be more efficient in terms of intrinsic viscosity and polymer yields than TMAC. Thermal analysis confirmed that molecular weight effect on the thermal properties of both nylon 4 and nylon 4 copolymer was marginal.