Structure and thermal characterisation of poly(arylene ether sulphone)s

Structurally different poly(arylene ether sulphone) (PES) copolymers were synthesized by reacting stoichiometric amount of dichlorodiphenyl sulphone (DCDPS) with bisphenols. The molar ratio of bisphenol-A and phenolphthalein (ESP)/hydroquinone (ESH)/resorcinol (ESR) was varied to prepare nine copolymer samples. Structural characterization was done by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR studies. The initial decomposition temperature as well as temperature of maximum rate of mass loss in ESR and ESH copolymers were similar and a marginal decrease in these decomposition temperatures were observed by increasing the isopropylidine units in the backbone. High char residue at 800°C was observed in polymers having high content of phthalein units.The paper was presented at Thermans 2004 held at Baroda, January 20–22, 2004.Reliance Industries Limited is gratefully acknowledged for creating a Chair at IIT Delhi (I. K. Varma) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for providing scholarship to one of the authors (R. T. S. Muthu Lakshmi).