Poly(arylene ether nitrile) copolymers containing pendant phenyl: Synthesis and properties

A series of poly(arylene ether nitrile) copolymers (PENAPs) were synthesized with bisphenol A (BP-A), bisphenol AP (BP-AP) and 2,6-Dichlorobenzonitrile (DCBN) via a nucleophilic substitution polycondensation reaction. FTIR and H-1-NMR were used to confirm the structure of PENAPs. Glass transition temperature (T-g) of PENAPs determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) ranged from 154.2 to 200.8 degrees C. The 5% weight lost temperature (T-5%) of PENAPs were 418.9-447.7 degrees C. The tensile and DMA test indicated that PENAPs possessed excellent mechanical properties with tensile strength more than 92.8 MPa and storage modulus more than 1.0 GPa at about 150 degrees C. The melt flowability was measured by rheology properties testing ranging from 80 to 1639 GPa at 290 degrees C and under shear frequency 100 Hz, which indicated the copolymers had good flowability and thermal stability. Additionally, PENAPs could be dissolved in many solutions, which meant PENAPs had good solubility and can be processed by solution method.