| Abstract: | This work synthesized a series of new polyamides by direct polycondensation of 1,3-bis4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]adamantane ( I ) with various diamines. The diacid I was synthesized from 1,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)adamantane in two steps. Polyamides III were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and pyridine. The polyamides had medium inherent viscosities of 0.30–0.55 dL/g and number-average molecular weights (Mn) of 22,000–36,000. The polyamides III a and III b had tensile strengths of 59.8 and 77.5 MPa, elongation to breakage values of 5.8 and 7.6%, and initial moduli of 1.9 and 1.8 GPa, respectively. Their glass transition temperatures were found to be 219–295°C by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that the incorporation of rigid and bulky diamantane into polyamides III a and III b leads to high glass transition temperatures (Tgs), at 299 and 286°C, respectively. The decomposition temperatures of polyamides III at a 5% weight loss ranged from 388 to 416°C in air and from 408 to 435°C in N2 atmosphere. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 785–792, 1998 |
