1. The Dow Chemical Company, Core R&D, Midland, Michigan 48674, USA;2. Polycarbonate R&D, Dow Deutschland Anlagengesellschaft mbH, Werk Stade, 21677 Stade, Germany
Abstract:
Polycarbonate/polyethylene random block copolymers (RBCs) have been produced using olefin metathesis catalysis in a process termed segment interchange metathesis. An olefin metathesis catalyst tolerant of polar functionality was added to reagent polycarbonate and polyethylene polymers which contained internal unsaturated carbon–carbon bonds. Subsequent metathesis occurred, segmenting the reagent polymers, resulting in RBCs. The block copolymers self-assembled into microphase structures which persisted into the melt state as determined by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).
