Comparison of the structure and thermal properties of a poly(aryl ether ketone ether ketone naphthyl ketone) with those of poly(aryl ether ketone ether ketone ketone)

Poly(oxy-1,4-phenylene carbonyl-1,4-phenylene oxy-1,4-phenylene carbonyl-2,6-naphthalene carbonyl-1,4-phenylene) or 2,6-PEKEKNK is a polymer of the poly(aryl ether ketone) family differing from PEKEKK by the presence of a naphthyl group linked at positions 2 and 6 to the two ketone groups. It is synthesized by electrophilic precipitation polycondensation of 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid chloride with 4,4'-bis-(4-phenoxy) benzophenone in the presence of aluminium chloride. The dimensions of the orthorhombic unit cell determined from an initially amorphous, stretched film are: a = 0.778 nm, b = 0.613 nm, c = 5.52 nm. In contrast with PEKEKK no signs of polymorphism were found for 2,6 PEKEKNK. Its glass transition and melting temperatures are 20 degrees C and 2 degrees C above those of PEKEKK, respectively.