Preparation and characterization of head‐to‐head polymers. VIII. Head‐to‐head poly(vinyl cyclohexane)

Abstract

AbstractHead‐to‐head poly(vinyl cyclohexane) (H‐H PVCH) was prepared from 2,3‐diphenylbutadiene, which was polymerized by radical, 1,4 polymerization to poly(2,3‐diphenylbutadiene) and then catalytically hydrogenated to H‐H PVCH, H‐H PVCH was also prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of H‐H polystyrene (PS). The catalytic hydrogenations were carried out at an initial hydrogen pressure of 2000 psi and a temperature of 200°C. Some chemical, physical, and thermal properties of H‐H PVCH were investigated and compared with the properties of atactic and isotactic head‐to‐tail (H‐T) PVCH. The glass transition temperature of the H‐H polymer was found to be 50°C lower than that of the atactic H‐T polymer which indicates that the backbone chain has more flexibility. Both H‐H and H‐T PVCH showed comparable thermal stability. The temperature of the maximum rate of thermal degradation by differential thermogravimetric analysis was approximately 40°C higher than that of the corresponding polystyrenes.