Polymerization of α,α-disubstituted-β-propiolactones and lactams. 10. Crystalline structure,thermal and mechanical studies of statistical and block copolymers of pivalolactone and α-methyl-α-propyl-β-propiolactone

AB and ABA block copolyesters based on racemic poly(α-methyl-α-n propyl-α-propiolactone) (PMPPL) as a “soft” or elastomeric segment and polypivalolactone (PPL) as a “hard” or crystallizable segment have been synthesized and compared with random copolymers of the same composition. X-ray studies show the coexistence of polymorphic crystal forms for a given polymer in a given sample. Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties give clear evidence of heterophase structure corresponding to segregation of PPL and PMPPL. The crystalline phase clearly provides thermally reversible crosslinking in the ABA block copolymers. On stretching, the planar zigzag form of PMPPL is observed. Because of the domain structure, moduli of ABA samples are higher than those of PMPPL and their tensile strengths are similar to those of comparable styrene-butadiene block copolymers. The polymer synthesis was achieved by sequential monomer addition with tetrahexyl ammonium benzoate as initiator. For the ABA polymers the diammonium salt of sebacic acid provided a di-functional initiator. The agreement between calculated and observed molecular weights testify to the “living” character of this polymerization reaction.