Synthesis and study of arylaliphatic polyamides containing ether bonds in the chain

New types of polyamide are very much in the news at present, especially those containing C12C24 aliphatic radicals in the main chain, possessing improved elasticity and chemical resistance. Others of interest, with this in view, are polyamides containing an oxygen atom between aliphatic, or aromatic and aliphatic radicals [1], i.e. the polyether amides (PEA). The use of various arylaliphatic dicarboxylic acids and diamines containing ether bonds has been described, e.g. di-(4-carboxymethoxyphenyl)methane, the respective oxide, 1,2-di-(4-carboxymethoxydiphenyl)ethane, and others. Polyamides were produced from the salts of these acids with hexa- or decamethylendiamine in the melt [2,3]. In addition to the above arylaliphatic dicarboxylic acids with ether bonds, descriptions exist also of the use of diamines of various structures as starting material (produced by reducing di-β-cyanethoxy-diphenyls), such as 4,4′-di(γ-aminopropxy)diphenyl di-(4-γ-aminopropoxydiphenyl)methane, 1,2-di-(4-γ-aminopropoxydiphenyl)ethane. The salts of these diamines with adipic and sebacic acids were polycondensed to polyamides in the melt [4].