Abstract
In order to obtain a fundamental information for the preparation of polyamide-polystyrene block copolymers using copolyamides, which contain -N=N- units in the main chain, as initiators, decomposition of dimethyl azobiscyanopentanoate (ACPA-Me), a model of the initiators, was investigated in the presence or absence of styrene monomer. The reaction was carried out in benzene and m-cresol solutions at 60°C for 24 h, and the products were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The yields for the coupling reactions of the radicals in benzene and m-cresol were 85% and 43%, respectively, in the absence of styrene monomer. In its presence, however, these values decreased to 48% and 28%. These results suggested that the chain length of polyamide block in the polyamide-polystyrene block copolymers could be controlled by use of kind of solvent and concentration of styrene monomer as variable parameters.
