Influence of Chemical Structure and Solubility of Bisamide Additives on the Nucleation of Isotactic Polypropylene and the Improvement of Its Charge Storage Properties

Title data

Mohmeyer, Nils ; Schmidt, Hans-Werner ; Kristiansen, Per Magnus ; Altstädt, Volker:
Influence of Chemical Structure and Solubility of Bisamide Additives on the Nucleation of Isotactic Polypropylene and the Improvement of Its Charge Storage Properties.
In: Macromolecules. Vol. 39 (2006) Issue 17 . - pp. 5760-5767.
ISSN 1520-5835
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ma060340q

Project information

Abstract in another language

A comparative study on the influence of chemical structure and solubility of a series of low-molecular-weigt 1,4-phenylene-bisamides in isotactic polypropylene (i-PP) was conducted to explore their performance as nucleating agents and electret additives. The series consists of three isomers of dicyclohexyl-substituted 1,4-phenylene-bisamide and three asymmetrically substituted cyclohexyl/n-alkyl-1,4-phenylene-bisamides with different chain lengths. The symmetry of the molecules, the type of substitution and the length of the alkyl chain influence the solubility in the i-PP melt, the nucleation efficiency, the ratio of the α- to β-crystal modification and the charge storage properties. The best β-nucleating efficiency was observed for the symmetrically substituted compounds, whereas the nucleation efficiency was substantially reduced in the presence of n-alkyl-substituents. The charge storage behavior of i-PP was improved only for the three dicyclohexyl-substituted 1,4-phenylene bisamides at concontrations of 100 ppm and even below. For example, a film comprising 10 ppm additive displayed charge retention of 90% after an accelerated aging (annealing for 24 h at 90 °C).