POLY(ARYLENE ETHER)S WITH PENDANT ETHYNYL GROUPS

Three novel bisphenols containing pendant ethynyl, hexynyl, and phenyl ethynyl groups were synthesized and used to prepare arylene ether poly mers and copolymers. When heated to 250-350-degrees-C, the ethynyl gro ups react. After curing, the homopolymers were brittle due to the high crosslink density. Copolymers prepared using either 10 or 30 mol% of the ethynyl-containing bisphenol and either 90 or 70 mol% of the bisph enol with no ethynyl groups were relatively tough and formed creasible films. After a thermal cure, the copolymers became insoluble and exhi bited high T(g)s and good thin film tensile properties.