| Abstract: | Poly(phenylene sulfides) containing various amounts of pendant cyano groups were synthesized from m-benzenedithiol and the corresponding amounts of p-dibromobenzene and 3,5-dichlorobenzonitrile. The polymers prepared by the use of 10, 15, 20, and 25% of the nitrile-containing dichloro compound were slightly off-white with melting ranges below 100°C and had inherent viscosities of about 0.15 dl/g in hexamethylphosphoric triamide at 30°C. The polymers prepared from m-benzenedithiol and the stoichiometric amounts of 2,4-dichlorobenzonitrile or 3,5-dichlorobenzonitrile looked similar to those described above, yet they possessed much higher melting ranges. The poly(phenylene sulfide) prepared by the use of 2,4-dichlorobenzonitrile had an inherent viscosity of 0.06 dl/g while the polymer prepared from the 3,5-dichloro isomer had an inherent viscosity of 0.38 dl/g. All the polymers listed above were crosslinked by heating alone or in the presence of anthracene-9,10-bisnitrile oxide to give black resinous polymers that were insoluble in hexamethylphosphoric triamide in which the original polymers dissolved quite readily. |
