Synthesis and characterization of new aliphatic polyketones from ketenes

The objective of this study is to synthesize new architectures of ketene-based aliphaticpolyketones, having a lower melting temperature than polydimethylketene, while maintaining a high degradation temperature, in order to widen the processing window. The synthesis of dimethylketene and / or ethylketene was succeeded by the pyrolysis of isobutyric and / or butyric anhydride at 625°C under 40 mbar. A random copolymer was first synthesized by the cationic copolymerization between dimethylketene and ethylketene, at -78 ° C; then using a Friedel-Craft initiator, a star-shaped polydimethylketene was obtained. These two polymers have reached the initial goal of this study: they possess a melting endotherm at about 180°C, a good thermal stability similar to polydimethylketene (Tdegradation = 300°C), and in particular, excellent oxygen barrier properties in wet atmosphere (up to 95% RH).