LAPSE:2020.1126
Published Article
LAPSE:2020.1126
Post-Polymerization Heat Effect in the Production of Polyamide 6 by Bulk Quasiliving Anionic Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactam with Industrial Components: A Green Processing Technique
Zsófia Osváth, Anita Szőke, Szabolcs Pásztor, Györgyi Szarka, László Balázs Závoczki, Béla Iván
November 9, 2020
Bulk, solventless anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) of ε-caprolactam (CPL) with high yields, without side products and with short reaction times, initiated by caprolactamate-carbamoylcaprolactam initiating systems belong to green polymerization processes, leading to poly(ε-caprolactam) (Polyamide 6, PA6, Nylon 6). However, the effect of post-polymerization heat (i.e., slow, technically feasible cooling) on the fundamental characteristics of the resulting polymers such as yield and molecular weight distributions (MWDs) have not been revealed thus far. Significant post-polymerization effect was found by us in terms of both monomer conversions and MWDs by carrying out CPL polymerization with industrial components under conditions mimicking thermoplastic reaction transfer molding (T-RTM). Remarkably, higher monomer conversions and molecular weights (MWs) were obtained for Polyamide 6 samples prepared without quenching than that for the quenched polymers at the same reaction times. Independent of quenching or non-quenching, Mn of the resulting polymers as a function of conversion fell in the theoretical line of quasiliving AROP of CPL. At high monomer conversions, significant increase of the MW and broadening of the MWDs occurred, indicating pronounced chain−chain coupling. These findings have fundamental importance for designing processing conditions for in situ polymerization processes of ε-caprolactam by various techniques such as T-RTM, reaction injection molding (RIM), and other processing methods of Polyamide 6.
Keywords
anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP), chain branching, chain-chain coupling, hexamethylene-1,6-dicarbamoylcaprolactam, Nylon 6, Polyamide 6, post-polymerization effect, quasiliving polymerization, sodium caprolactamate, thermoplastic reaction transfer molding (T-RTM), ε-caprolactam (CPL)
Suggested Citation
Osváth Z, Szőke A, Pásztor S, Szarka G, Závoczki LB, Iván B. Post-Polymerization Heat Effect in the Production of Polyamide 6 by Bulk Quasiliving Anionic Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactam with Industrial Components: A Green Processing Technique. (2020). LAPSE:2020.1126
Author Affiliations
Osváth Z: Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
Szőke A: Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
Pásztor S: Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
Szarka G: Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
Závoczki LB: Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
Iván B: Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary [ORCID]
Journal Name
Processes
Volume
8
Issue
7
Article Number
E856
Year
2020
Publication Date
2020-07-17
Published Version
ISSN
2227-9717
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PII: pr8070856, Publication Type: Journal Article
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LAPSE:2020.1126
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doi:10.3390/pr8070856
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Nov 9, 2020
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