Claims
- 1. A process which comprises contacting terephthalic acid and a diamine in a medium at substantially room temperature to thereby form a semi-solid slurry of the resulting salt in said medium within a few minutes, said medium consisting essentially of methanol and water wherein the volume ratio of methanol to water in said medium during the formation of said salt is in the range of about 99:1 to about 80:20; the weight ratio of the total of acid and diamine to said medium is in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:3, and utilizing the thus formed salt to produce a normally solid, moldable polyterephthalamide.
- 2. A process which comprises contacting terephthalic acid and a diamine in a medium at substantially room temperature to thereby form a semi-solid slurry of the resulting salt in said medium within a few minutes, said medium consisting essentially of methanol and water wherein the volume ratio of methanol to water in said medium during the formation of said salt is in the range of about 99:1 to about 80:20; the weight ratio of the total of acid and diamine to said medium is in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:3, and subjecting the thus formed salt to polycondensation conditions to produce a normally solid, moldable polyterephthalamide; wherein at least 80 weight percent of the molecules of said diamine have the structural formula H.sub.2 N--R--NH.sub.2 wherein the R in each of at least 50 percent of the molecules of said diamine having said structural formula is 5-methylnonamethylene and the R in each of the balance, if any, of said molecules of said diamine having said structural formula is individually selected from the group consisting of 2,4-dimethyloctamethylene and 2,4,6-tri-methylheptamethylene, and the balance, if any, of the molecules of said diamine has the formula R'HN--R.sup.2 --NHR' wherein each R' is individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms per radical, and each R.sup.2 is a divalent hydrocarbon radical having from 6 to 16 carbon atoms; wherein said terephthalic acid constitutes at least 80 weight percent of the total acid present and the balance, if any, of the total acid present is a second dicarboxylic acid having the formula HOOC--R.sup.3 --COOH wherein R.sup.3 is a divalent hydrocarbon radical having from 4 to 14 carbon atoms.
- 3. A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein the R in each of at least 70 percent of the molecules of said diamine having said structural formula is 5-methylnonamethylene, wherein said volume ratio is in the range of about 95:1 to about 85:15, and wherein said weight ratio is in the range of about 1:1.5 to about 1:2.5.
- 4. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the thus formed salt is heated under polycondensation reaction conditions to produce a normally solid, moldable linear terephthalamide polymer.
- 5. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the thus formed salt is heated under polycondensation reaction conditions, without significant concentration or isolation of the salt, to produce a normally solid, moldable linear terephthalamide polymer.
- 6. A process which comprises utilizing a salt of terephthalic acid and a diamine to produce a normally solid, moldable polyterephthalamide, said salt having been formed by contacting terephthalic acid and said diamine in a medium at substantially room temperature to therey form a semi-solid slurry of the resulting salt in said medium within a few minutes, said medium consisting essentially of methanol and water, the volume ratio of methanol to water in said medium during the formation of said salt being in the range of about 99:1 to about 80:20; the weight ratio of the total of acid and diamine to said medium being in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:3.
- 7. A process which comprises subjecting a salt of terephthalic acid and a diamine to polycondensation conditions to produce a normally solid, moldable polyterephthalamide, said salt having been formed by contacting terephthalic acid and said diamine in a medium at substantially room temperature to thereby form a semi-solid slurry of the resulting salt in said medium within a few minutes, said medium consisting essentially of methanol and water, the volume ratio of methanol to water in said medium during the formation of said salt being in the range of about 99:1 to about 80:20; the weight ratio of the total of acid and diamine to said medium being in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:3; wherein at least 80 weight percent of the molecules of said diamine had the structural formula H.sub.2 N--R--NH.sub.2 wherein the R in each of at least 50 percent of the molecules of said diamine having said structural formula is 5-methylnonamethylene and the R in each of the balance, if any, of said molecules of said diamine having said structural formula is individually selected from the group consisting of 2,4-dimethyloctamethylene and 2,4,6-trimethylheptamethylene, and the balance, if any, of the molecules of said diamine had the formula R'HN--R.sup.2 --NHR' wherein each R' is individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms per radical, and each R.sup.2 is a divalent hydrocarbon radical having from 6 to 16 carbon atoms; wherein said terephthalic acid constituted at least 80 weight percent of the total acid present and the balance, if any, of the total acid present was a second dicarboxylic acid having the formula HOOC--R.sup.3 --COOH wherein R.sup.3 is a divalent hydrocarbon radical having from 4 to 14 carbon atoms.
- 8. A process in accordance with claim 7 wherein the R is each of at least 70 percent of the molecules of said diamine having said structural formula is 5-methylnonamethylene, wherein said volume ratio was in the range of about 95:1 to about 85:15, and wherein said weight ratio was in the range of about 1:1.5 to about 1:2.5.
- 9. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the thus formed salt is heated under polycondensation reaction conditions to produce a normally solid, moldable linear terephthalamide polymer.
- 10. A process in accordance with claim 6 wherein the thus formed salt is heated under polycondensation reaction conditions, without significant concentration or isolation of the salt, to produce a normally solid, moldable linear terephthalamide polymer.
- 11. A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein at least 95 weight percent of the total acid is terephthalic acid.
- 12. A process in accordance with claim 11 wherein at least 95 weight percent of the diamine has said structural formula H.sub.2 N--R--NH.sub.2.
- 13. A process in accordance with claim 11 wherein said diamine comprises a mixture of [5-methyl-1,7-heptanediamine] 5-methyl-1,9-nonanediamine, 2,4-dimethyl-1,8-octanediamine, and 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,7-heptanediamine.
- 14. A process in accordance with claim 13 wherein said volume ratio is about 90:10, and wherein said terephthalic acid and said diamine are contacted in said medium at room temperature to form a nearly homogeneous solution within about a minute and to set up within a few minutes to an immobile white semi-solid.
- 15. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein the thus formed slurry is cooled to promote precipitation of said salt, and the thus cooled slurry is filtered to recover the precipitated salt.
- 16. A process in accordance with claim 15 wherein the thus cooled slurry is filtered to recover at least 95 percent of the salt.
- 17. A process in accordance with claim 15 wherein the thus recovered salt is heated under polycondensation reaction conditions to produce a normally solid, moldable linear terephthalamide polymer composed at least primarily of recurring structural units of the formula ##STR2## wherein R is as defined hereinabove, with the balance, if any, of the recurring structural units having the formula ##STR3## wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined hereinabove.
- 18. A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein at least 95 weight percent of the total acid was terephthalic acid.
- 19. A process in accordance with claim 18 wherein at least 95 weight percent of the diamine had said structural formula H.sub.2 N-R-NH.sub.2.
- 20. A process in accordance with claim 18 wherein said diamine comprised a mixture of 5-methyl-1,9-nonanediamine, 2,4-dimethyl-1,8-octanediamine, and 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,7-heptanediamine.
- 21. A process in accordance with claim 20 wherein said volume ratio was about 90:10, and wherein said terephthalic acid and said diamine were contacted in said medium at room temperature to form a nearly homogeneous solution within about a minute and to set up within a few minutes to an immobile white semi-solid.
- 22. A process in accordance with claim 21 wherein the thus formed slurry was cooled to promote precipitation of said salt, and the thus cooled slurry was filtered to recover the precipitated salt.
- 23. A process in accordance with claim 22 wherein the thus cooled slurry was filtered to recover at least 95 percent of the salt.
- 24. A process in accordance with claim 22 wherein the thus recovered salt is heated under polycondensation reaction conditions to produce a normally solid, moldable linear terephthalamide polymer composed at least primarily of recurring structural units of the formula ##STR4## wherein R is as defined hereinabove, with the balance, if any, of the recurring structural units having the formula ##STR5## wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined hereinabove.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of copending application Ser. No. 255,553, filed May 22, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,677.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
255553 |
May 1972 |
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