Method of increasing molecular weight of poly(aryl ethers)

US4638037A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED · GB

Inventors

• Mary V. Ward · Middlesbrough, GB
• Eric Nield · Beaconsfield, GB
• Philip A. Staniland · Tewin Wood, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: May 4, 1984
• Grant date: Jan 20, 1987
• Expiry date: May 4, 2004

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C08J2371/00
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method of increasing the molecular weight of a poly(aryl ether) comprising providing a mixture of (1) at least one polyaryl ether comprising polymer chains having end groups selected from groups of formula EQU --Ar--X, preferably EQU --Y--Ar--X and --Ar--OX and (2) a reagent having nucleophilic activity selected from (a) alkaline salts of Group I or Group II metals (as hereinafter defined) and (b) reagents have radicals --X and --OZ, reactive respectively with the end groups --Ar--OZ and --Ar--X, wherein when the end group is --Ar--X the reagent is either a difunctional reagent having either both end groups in the form of reactive --OZ groups or a difunctional reagent having one reactive --OZ group and one reactive --X group and when the end group is --Ar--OZ the reagent is a difunctional reagent having reactive end groups --X, and wherein Ar represents an arylene radical, preferably a phenylene radical, X is a monovalent radical capable of nucleophilic diplacement from Ar, preferably selected from halogen, nitrile (CN) or nitro (NO.sub.2) radicals, Y is an electron withdrawing group, which when Ar is phenylene is positioned ortho or para, preferably para to the X group and when …