MOLAR-MASS DETERMINATION ON POLYAMIDES AN D ON REACTION-PRODUCTS FROMEPSILON-CAPROLACTAM AND PHENYL GLYCIDYL ETHER

Terminal groups (-NH2, -COOH, -OH (-OH from termination reaction with epoxides)) of aliphatic oligo- and polyamides were titrated to determi ne the corresponding molar masses. epsilon-Caprolactam terminal groups were hydrolyzed to form -COOH permitting subsequent titration. The sa me samples were measured by using capillary viscometry, vapour pressur e osmometry and size exclusion chromatography. It was shown that the m olar masses obtained depend on the reaction process of the polyamide f ormation (anionic process with Na-caprolactam as initiator and activat ed anionic process with Na-caprolactam/N-acetylcaprolactam as initiato r) and on the analytical method used. Molar masses from titration of t erminal groups correspond to molar masses from capillary viscometry in sulfuric acid as solvent.