Polycaprolactam molecular composites
AssigneeEdison Polymer Innovation Corporation
InventorsFrank W. Harris, Hong Ding
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Abstract
Polyimides serve as reinforcing rigid-backbone segments in nylon 6 copolymers. In a first embodiment, the copolymers are prepared from polyimides containing acylated caprolactam moieties pendant therefrom which provide sites for polycaprolactam grafts. In a second embodiment, polyimide oligomers end-capped with acyl-activated caprolactam rings permit the formation of block caprolactam copolymers that include polyimide reinforcing segments. The polyimide/nylon 6 copolymers have properties superior to those of nylon 6 and can also serve as compatibilizing agents.
Claims17
A process for making a polyimide-nylon 6 copolymer that includes:
- preparing a reaction mixture comprising combining
- (a) a rigid-backbone polyimide to which is attached at least one caprolactam ring having an acyl group attached to the nitrogen atom contained in said ring, said acyl group activating said ring, with
- (b) molten caprolactam and thereafter initiating polymerization of said molten caprolactam in said mixture, whereupon nylon 6 chains propagate from said rings to form a molecularly-reinforced copolymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.