Segmented copolymers of uniform tetra-amide units and poly(phenylene oxide) by direct coupling

Segmented copolymers with telechelic poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene ether) (PPE) segments and crystallizable bisester tetra‐amide units (two‐and‐a‐half repeating unit of nylon‐6,T) were studied. The copolymers were synthesized by reacting bifunctional PPE with hydroxylic end groups with an average molecular weight of 3500 g/mol and bisester tetra‐amide units via an ester polycondensation reaction. The bisester tetra‐amide units had phenolic ester groups. By replacing part of the bisester tetra‐amide units with diphenyl terephthalate units (DPT), the concentration of tetra‐amide units in the copolymer was varied from 0 to 11 wt%. Polymers were also prepared from bifunctional PPE, DPT, and a diaminediamide (6T6‐diamine). The thermal and thermal mechanical properties were studied by DSC and DMA and compared with a copolymer with flexible spacer groups between the PPE and the T6T6T. The copolymers had a high Tg of 180–200°C and a melting temperature that increased with amide content of 220–265°C. The melting temperature was sharp with monodisperse amide segments. The Tm – Tc was 39°C, which suggests a fast, but not very fast, crystallization. The crystallinity of the amide was ∼ 20%. The copolymers are semicrystalline materials with a high Tg and a high Tg/Tm ratio (> 0.8). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 512–518, 2007