Hydrogen bonding effects in the glassy state of random copolyamides

Abstract

AbstractThe thermal behavior of random copolyamides which are used as model polymers with hydrogen bonds has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x‐ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. The quenched copolyamides have only halo patterns in their x‐ray diffraction photographs. A random copolymer of nylons 6, 66, and 610 (in a composition ratio of 3: 4: 3) was found to have 20% of unbonded amide groups immediately after quenching. When the sample was kept at the glass transition temperature (20°C), no change in x‐ray diffraction was observed after the treatment. The free amide band in the infrared spectrum at 3450 cm‐1, however, was decreased in intensity by keeping the sample at the glass transition temperature. The transition peak height observed in a DSC curve also increased in the same experiment. Large glass transition peaks were found in DSC curves after annealing of the random copolyamides in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature. It is probable that the free amide groups in the amorphous chains were rearranged and formed new hydrogen bonds during the heat treatment at the glass transition temperature. Packing and restriction of the amorphous chains due to the increase in hydrogen bonding seemed to increase the height of the transition peak in a DSC curve. It is inferred from the above results that in the case of the random copolyamide, structures corresponding to a given enthalpy of the glassy state can be related to the number of hydrogen bonds.