Polyamides from α,ω-oxaalkanedioic acids having long methylene chain units

Three series of polyamides were prepared from diamines (hexamethylenediamine, bis-5-aminoamyl ether, p-xylylenediamine) and α,ω-oxaalkanedioic acids of formula HOOC(CH₂)_mO(CH₂)_nCOOH, where m = n = 3–10, in symmetric structures, but m = 3 or 4 in unsymmetric structures. The melting points of these polymers were plotted against the number of carbon atoms of the oxaalkylene groups. The melting points of polymers from each diamine fell on three different curves according to the structures of the dicarboxylic acids: symmetric ? (CH₂)_nO(CH₂)_n? ; unsymmetric ? (CH₂)₃O(CH₂)_n? , and unsymmetric ? (CH₂)₄O(CH₂)_n? . A minimum melting point is observed at about the same point of the acid structure in every curve of the unsymmetric dicarboxylic acids. The marked depression in the polymer melting points around the minimum point is attributed to the increase of the entropy of fusion.