GB1099184A - Polyesteramides - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention comprises crystalline polyesteramides of m.p above 52 DEG C. containing repeating units of formulae -O(CH2)5CO- and -NHRCO-, where R is an organic radical, the 2 valencies of which are on different carbon atoms. 90-100% of the repeating units are of one of these formulae and there are 1-400 amide units for every ester unit. R- may be (a) a hydrocarbon radical, e.g. a C3- 20 polymethylen radical, (b) a radical of formula -X(ZY)m-, where X and Y are hydrocarbon radicals, Z is -O- or hydrocarbon-substituted imino and m is an integer or (c) a derivative of (a) or (b) in which a carbon bonded hydrogen atom is replaced by a halogen atom or a hydrocarbon-oxy radical. The polymers may be derived from polyamide-forming monomers, e.g. lactams or amino-acids or N-acyl derivatives or esters thereof, and ester-forming monomers, e.g. e -caprolactone, e -hydroxy-caproic acid, its acetate or benzoate or its C1- 6 alkyl ester. Amide-forming monomers specified include e -caprolactam, 11-aminoundecanoic acid and e -amino-caproic acid. Where the amide-forming monomer is a lactam, the polymerization may be catalyzed by an anionic catalyst, e.g. an alkali metal such as Na or its oxide, hydroxide, carbonate, alkoxide or alkyl. In this case a lactone may be added in portions to the lactam during polymerization. If the amide-forming monomer is not a lactam the polymerization may be acid catalysed. Acids specified are sulphuric, phosphoric and p-toluene sulphonic. In either case the temperature may be 100-260 DEG C. and a reduced pressure or mobile inert gas atmosphere may be used. Hydroxy-acids other than hydroxycaproic acid, monohydric alcohols, mono-primary and secondary amines, monocarboxylic acids and cross-linking agents may be present. Before making the products into fibres, films, adhesives, coatings or moulded articles, thermo- and photostabilizers, lubricants, mould-release agents, pigments, dyes, fillers, plasticizers, and other natural or synthetic polymers may be added. In Example (3) a product of anionic polymerization is treated with HCl to neutralize the catalyst. In other examples aromatic hydrocarbons are used to extract low M.W. residues from the products.