Synthesis,characterization, and thermal properties of phosphorus‐containing,wholly aromatic thermotropic copolyesters

A series of phosphorus‐containing, wholly aromatic thermotropic copolyesters from acetylated 2‐(6‐oxide‐6H‐dibenz〈c,e〉〈1,2〉oxa phosphorin‐6‐yl)‐1,4‐dihydroxy phenylene, p‐acetoxybenzoic acid, terephthalic acid, and isophthalic acid were prepared by melting polycondensation. The structure and basic properties of the polymers, such as the glass‐transition temperature (T_g), melting temperature (T_m), thermal stability, crystallinity, and liquid crystallinity, were investigated with Fourier transform infrared, elemental analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and hot‐stage polarizing optical microscopy. The copolyesters had relatively high T_g values ranging from 183 to 192°C. The T_m values obtained from DSC curves for samples P‐20 and P‐25 were 290 and 287°C, respectively (where the number in the sample name indicates the molar fraction of the phosphorus‐containing monomer in the reactants). The initial flow temperatures of other samples observed with hot‐stage polarizing microscopy were 271–290°C. The 5% degradation temperatures in nitrogen ranged from 431 to 462°C, and the char yields at 640°C were 41–52%. All the copolyesters, except P‐40, were thermotropic and nematic. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 1278–1284, 2002