Medium and high molecular weight long chain aliphatic nylons and methods of making same
Medium and high molecular weight long chain aliphatic nylons and methods of making the same. A method of making medium and high molecular weight nylons is described, which not only produces consistent products, but products with enhanced properties such as impact resistance and chemical resistance.
1. A method of making aliphatic nylon polymers and/or copolymers, comprising,
mixing at least one diamine with at least one diacid having 13 or more aliphatic carbon atoms to form a diamine-diacid salt solution;
removing a sample of the diamine-diacid salt solution and dissolving the sample of the diamine-diacid salt solution in a solvent comprising one or more C 3 to C 6 alcohols present in water in an amount of about 50% by volume, to form a dissolved diamine-diacid solution;
titrating the dissolved diamine-diacid solution to determine its balance point;
calculating the amount of diamine or diacid needed to bring the diamine-diacid salt solution to its balance point;
adding the calculated amount of diamine or diacid to the diamine-diacid salt solution to form a mixture; and
polymerizing the mixture to form a nylon polymer or copolymer,
wherein the nylon polymer or copolymer has a molecular weight greater than about 30,000 g/mol,
wherein the nylon polymer or copolymer comprises nylon 613, nylon 614, nylon 615, nylon 617, or nylon 618.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diamine is hexamethylene diamine and the diacid is octadecanedioic acid.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises isopropanol.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nylon polymer is a copolymer of nylon 618 and nylon 66.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nylon polymer is a copolymer of nylon 618 and nylon 612.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diacid comprises a mixture of two or more C 6 to C 22 diacids.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the diacid comprises at least one C 12 to C 22 diacid.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nylon polymer or copolymer is suitable for extrusion.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nylon polymer or copolymer has a modulus of elasticity of up to about 1100 MPa.
10. A method of making aliphatic nylon polymers and/or copolymers, comprising,
mixing at least one diamine with at least one diacid having 13 or more aliphatic carbon atoms to form a diamine-diacid salt solution;
removing a sample of the diamine-diacid salt solution and dissolving the sample of the diamine-diacid salt solution in a solvent comprising one or more C 3 to C 6 alcohols present in water in an amount of about 50% by volume, to form a dissolved diamine-diacid solution;
titrating the dissolved diamine-diacid solution to determine its balance point;
calculating the amount of diamine or diacid needed to bring the diamine-diacid salt solution to its balance point;
adding the calculated amount of diamine or diacid to the diamine-diacid salt solution to form a mixture; and
polymerizing the mixture to form a nylon polymer or copolymer,
wherein the nylon polymer or copolymer has a molecular weight greater than about 30,000 g/mol,
wherein the nylon polymer is a copolymer of nylon 618 and nylon 66 or is a copolymer of nylon 618 and nylon 612.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diamine is hexamethylene diamine and the diacid is octadecanedioic acid.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the solvent comprises isopropanol.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diacid comprises a mixture of two or more C 6 to C 22 diacids.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the diacid comprises at least one C 12 to C 22 diacid.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nylon polymer or copolymer is suitable for extrusion.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nylon polymer or copolymer has a modulus of elasticity of up to about 1100 MPa.
17. An aliphatic nylon polymer or copolymer prepared by the method of claim 1 .
18. An aliphatic nylon polymer or copolymer prepared by the method of claim 10 .