SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL AROMATIC POLY(ETHER SULFONE KETONES)

New aromatic poly(ether sulfone ketones) were prepared by polycondensa tion of 4-fluoro-4'-(((fluorobenzoyl)phenyl)oxy)diphenyl sulfone, a ne w ordered-sequence aromatic dihalide, and conventional aromatic diols such as Bisphenol A,hydroquinone, 4,4'-biphenol, resorcinol, or 2,6-na phthalenediol in sulfolane solvent in the presence of anhydrous potass ium carbonate. The resulting high molecular weight polymers were found to be amorphous by X-ray diffractometry, and their glass transition t emperatures ranged from 167 to 206 degrees C. According to the results of thermogravimetric analyses, they exhibited excellent thermal stabi lity, showing 10% weight loss at 525-562 degrees C depending on their composition. They also exhibited good mechanical properties with modul i of 2400-3100 MPa. Tough and transparent thin films could easily be c ast from their chloroform solutions. Their optical transmittance was o ver 80% in the wavelength range from 380 to 900 nm.