GB1016245A - Manufacture of polysulphones - Google Patents

Abstract

Polysulphones containing units-Ar-SO2-, where Ar is a divalent aromatic residue, are obtained by melting either (a) at least one first compound containing two aromatically bound sulphonyl halide groups and at least one second compound containing at least two aromatically bound hydrogen atoms, or (b) at least one compound containing a single sulphonyl halide group and a hydrogen atom each bound to an aromatic ring, or a mixture of (a) and (b), in the presence of 0.05 to 5% by weight of a salt of iron which is soluble in the polymerizable mixture or antimony pentachloride. The polymerization is carried out by heating to at least 200 DEG C., and may be performed by first heating at a temperature below that at which cross linking occurs until the mixture is viscid or solid, cooling, comminuting the cooled mixture, and again heating at a temperature below that at which cross-linking occurs. A compound containing two aromatically bound carbonyl halide groups may replace a part of the compound containing two sulphonyl halide groups, or a compound containing a single carbonyl halide group and a hydrogen atom each attached to an aromatic nucleus may replace a part of the compound containing a single sulphonyl halide group. In examples the monomers are diphenyl ether-4,41-disulphonyl chloride, diphenyl, benzene - 1,3 - disulphonyl chloride, diphenyl ether, 4,41 - diphenoxy diphenyl sulphone, chlorobenzene - 2,4 - disulphonyl chloride, diphenyl ether-4-sulphonyl chloride, diphenyl - 4 - sulphonyl chloride, diphenyl sulphide - 4 - sulphonyl chloride, and 4-phenoxy benzoyl chloride; the catalysts are ferric chloride, ferric acetoacetonate, antimony pentachloride, ferric orthophosphate, ferric fluoride, ferrous bromide and ferrous iodide. Other starting materials are mentioned.