Poly (phenylene sulfide): polymerization kinetics and characterization

Abstract

The polycondensation kinetics of aromatic nucleophilic substitution on 1,4-dichlorobenzene by sodium sulfide has been investigated at 195°C in N-methyl pyrrolidone. The reaction follows second-order kinetics. The rate is bimodal with an initial slow rate till 50% conversion followed by a faster rate between 50 and 97% conversion. The specific reaction rates have been evaluated as 3.97 × 10^-3 L m^-1 s^-1 and 1.02 × 10^-2 L m^-1 s^-1 for the initial and later part (50-97%) of the reaction. The development of the degree of polymerization with reaction time was followed by end-group analysis and intrinsic viscosity measurements of polymer samples collected at different conversions. The reaction differs from conventional polycondensation reactions in two aspects. Polymer formation occurs at low conversions, and a significant amount of uncreacted monomer is present even at very high conversions. Unlike other precipitation polymerization reactions, the polymer chain continues to grow even after precipitation.