SYNTHESES AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(PHENYLENE SULFIDE)-POLY(ETHER SULFONE) BLOCK-COPOLYMERS

Poly(phenylene sulfide)-poly(ether sulfone) (PPS-PFS) block copolymers were synthesized by polycondensation of chloro-terminated PPS oligome rs and hydroxylic-terminated PES oligomers at atmospheric pressure. Th e structure and compositions of PFS-PES block copolymers were analyzed quantitatively by FTIR spectroscopy. It was found that the contents o f PES in copolymers increase with the amount of PES in the added mater ials; however, the quantities of PES contents in copolymers are lower than its quantities in the added materials. The solubility, crystalliz ation behavior, and thermal properties of PPS-PES block copolymers wer e studied through a solubility test, X-ray diffraction, DSC, and TGA. It was primarily proved that the copolymers have better solubility, lo wer crystallinity, and higher glass transition (T-g) than those of PPS . The nonisothermal crystallization kinetics and thermal decomposition kinetics of block copolymers were also studied; fur thermore, the cry stallization kinetic parameters and the activation energy of thermal d ecomposition were calculated. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.