Synthesis and charactherization of novel PBT and PCCD telechelic ionomers prepared by end capping

Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) (PCCD) ionomers contg. terminal ionic units, derived from a novel sodiosulfonate epoxy mol., were synthesized using an end capping technique in soln. The sulfonated epoxide has the fundamental feature of selectively reacting with the polymer carboxylic terminal groups and therefore, creating polymers with terminal ionic groups. The presence of the sodiosulfonate end groups was confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy and titrn. of carboxyl end groups. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that the presence of ionic end groups has a different effect on the crystn. process. In particular in PBT the ionic groups cause an increment of the crystn. rate, whereas, in PCCD the opposite effect is obsd.