Patent ID: 6069223
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: C08G

Abstract:
A process for making a crystallisable polymer having divalent aromatic units connected by ether and/or thioether linkages and having a molecular weight greater than 10,000 as determined by inherent viscosity, the process comprisingforming a polycondensation reaction mixture containing difunctional monomers having phenolic and/or thiophenolic and/or halogenic end groups, polycondensing the difunctional monomers to form the polymer, and thereafter isolating the polymer from the polycondensation reaction mixture, wherein a nucleating agent is added to the polycondensation reaction mixture during the polycondensing step when the polymer is within 15% of the molecular weight of the isolated polymer, the nucleating agent comprising a nucleophilic group and a group of formula --A--X, where X is a metal cation and A is an anion,wherein X and A are selected(1) to provide the isolated polymer with a peak crystallisation temperature which is higher than a peak crystallisation temperature of a crystallisable polymer having the same molecular weight and which is made without the addition of the nucleating agent; or(2) to make the isolated polymer crystallisable, as compared to a non-crystallisable polymer having the same moleculare weight and which is made without the addition of the nucleating agent.