Synthesis of fluorine-containing polyphosphonates: low temperature solution polycondensation of bisphenol AF and phenylphosphonic dichloride

Abstract

This paper describes the synthesis of polyphosphonates from the reaction of phenylphosphonic dichloride (PPD) with bisphenol AF (BPAF) and its derivatives in a chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent under low temperature conditions. The polyphosphonates obtained were characterized by i.r., inherent viscosity, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and molar mass. The polyphosphonate obtained from BPAF has a larger inherent viscosity by 0.50 dl g −1 and a higher glass transition temperature than those derivatives which contain flexible oxyethylene units or bromine atoms. Polyphosphonate derived from BPAF begins to lose 10% of its mass at 415°C and the mass percentage remaining at 700°C is 20.3% under nitrogen. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that almost all the polymers were amorphous, except for one polymer which was semicrystalline. The PPD/BPAF and PPD/ 3,3′,5,5′-tetrabromo bisphenol AF polymers have good flame retardancy, as indicated by high limiting oxygen index values of 43 and 65, respectively. The contact angles of PPD/BPAF polymer formed by water, glycerine and ethylene glycol were larger than those of other polyphosphonates which contain flexible oxyethylene units or bromine atoms.