Abstract: Ion-Exchange polymers for a polymer electrolyte membrane include a moiety of formula (I), and/or a moiety of formula (II), and/or a moiety of formula (III) wherein at least some of the units I, II and/or III are sulphonated; wherein the phenyl moieties in units I, II, and III are independently optionally substituted and optionally cross-linked; and wherein m, r, s, t, v, w and z independently represent zero or a positive integer, E and E? independently represent an oxygen or a sulphur atom or a direct link, G represents an oxygen or sulphur atom, a direct link or a —O—Ph—O— moiety where Ph represents a phenyl group and Ar is selected from one of the above moieties (i) to (x) which is bonded via one or more of its phenyl moieties to adjacent moieties

Abstract: Ion-Exchange polymers for a polymer electrolyte membrane include a moiety of formula (I), and/or a moiety of formula (II), and/or a moiety of formula (III) wherein at least some of the units I, II and/or III are sulphonated. The phenyl moieties in units I, II, and III are independently optionally substituted and optionally cross-linked; m, r; s, t, v, w and z independently represent zero or a positive integer, E and E′ independently represent an oxygen or a sulphur atom or a direct link, G represents an oxygen or sulphur atom, a direct link or a —O—Ph—O— moiety where Ph represents a phenyl group and Ar is selected from one of the moieties (i) to (x) as set forth herein which is bonded via one or more of its phenyl moieties to adjacent moieties.

Abstract: Ion-Exchange polymers for a polymer electrolyte membrane include a moiety of formula (I). and/or a moiety of formula (II), and/or a moiety of formula (III) wherein at least some of the units I, II and/or III are sulphonated; wherein the phenyl moieties in units I, II, and III are independently optionally substituted and optionally cross-linked; and wherein m, r, s, t, v, w and z independently represent zero or a positive integer, E and E′ independently represent an oxygen or a sulphur atom or a direct link, G represents an oxygen or sulphur atom, a direct link or a —O-Ph-O— moiety where Ph represents a phenyl group and Ar is selected from one of the above moieties (i) to (x) which is bonded via one or more of its phenyl moieties to adjacent moieties.

Abstract: A structural thermoplastic composite material comprises a laminate of a first layer of a fibre reinforced thermoformable crystalline polymer composite and an adherent layer of a second thermoformable polymer which has been applied to the first layer at a temperature above the melting point of the polymer of the first layer. The second polymer comprises an amorphous polymer having a Tg which is at least 10.degree. C. lower than the Tm of the other polymer, which is crystallisable in a subsequent annealing process, and which has a peak crystallisation time of at least 1 minute. Such a material can be bonded to itself or to a different material by the adherent layer at temperatures below the Tm of the matrix polymer.

Abstract: In making polyarylethersulphones or polyaryletherketones or their thioanalogues by reaction of phenols with aromatic halogen compounds, raw polycondensation product is freed of alkali halide by adjusting its composition and/or temperature so that it dissolves at least 0.5% w/w of water and holds the polymer in solution, and then contacting it in liquid form with hot water, preferably under pressure.

Abstract: Polyetherketones including repeating units I and biphenylene or terphenylene connected by ether linkages exhibit high degrees of crystallinity after annealing and have high Tg/Tm ratios.

Abstract: A crystalline polyethersulphone comprises repeating units Ph SO.sub.2 Ph.sub.3 SO.sub.2 Ph alone or together with Ph.sub.n and optionally together with up to 20 mole % of other repeating units, said units being connected by ether linkages, and wherein Ph is 1,4 - phenylene and n is an integer 1 or 2.

Abstract: A new polymer composition comprises an aromatic polyetherketone or mixture thereof containing the repeating units--O--Ph--O--Ph--CO--Ph-- Iand--O--Ph--Ph--O--Ph--CO--Ph-- II(where Ph is phenylene) in the relative molar proportions I:II of 95:5 to 60:40 and 5-80% w/w of a fibrous reinforcing agent. It is suitable for producing shaped articles of high damage tolerance by hot fabrication followed by slow cooling.

Abstract: Aromatic polyetherketones containing the repeat units:--O--Ph--O--Ph--CO--Ph-- Iand--O--Ph--Ph--O--Ph--CO--Ph-- IIin the relative molar proportions I:II of 95:5 to 60:40, preferably 90:10 to 60:40. The polymer typically has a melt viscosity of at least 0.06 kN.s.m..sup.-2 preferably at least 0.1 kN.s.m..sup.-2. Preferred polymers are tough. The polymers may be made by condensation of hydroquinone, 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenyl and 4,4,'-difluorobenzophenone in the presence of an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate and of an aromatic sulphone solvent, e.g., diphenylsulphone. Polycondensation is effected at 150.degree.-400.degree. C. The polymers are very useful for wire coating.

Abstract: A method of increasing the molecular weight of a poly(aryl ether) comprising providing a mixture of (1) at least one polyaryl ether comprising polymer chains having end groups selected from groups of formula--Ar--X,preferably--Y--Ar--X and --Ar--OXand (2) a reagent having nucleophilic activity selected from (a) alkaline salts of Group I or Group II metals (as hereinafter defined) and (b) reagents have radicals --X and --OZ, reactive respectively with the end groups --Ar--OZ and --Ar--X, wherein when the end group is --Ar--X the reagent is either a difunctional reagent having either both end groups in the form of reactive --OZ groups or a difunctional reagent having one reactive --OZ group and one reactive --X group and when the end group is --Ar--OZ the reagent is a difunctional reagent having reactive end groups --X, and wherein Ar represents an arylene radical, preferably a phenylene radical, X is a monovalent radical capable of nucleophilic diplacement from Ar, preferably selected from halogen, nitrile (CN

Abstract: A process of producing a fibre-reinforced composition comprising drawing a plurality of continuous filaments through a melt comprising a mixture of a thermoplastic polymer and a plasticizer for the polymer in the weight ratio between 1:4 and 99:1 of polymer to plasticizer, preferably in the weight ratio 1:1 to 19:1, the plasticizer being thermally stable at least up to the temperature of the melt and having volatility characteristics such that the plasticizer can be volatilized from the composition below the decomposition temperature of the composition but has a sufficiently low volatility at the temperature of the melt to plasticize the polymer in the melt and give a melt of reduced viscosity compared with the melt viscosity of the polymer alone. The process enables higher molecular polymers to be used in the pultrusion process and enables higher fibre contents to be achieved.

Abstract: Production of a hydroxy arylophenone by reacting an aromatic carboxylic acid Ar(--CO.sub.2 H).sub.p where Ar is an aromatic radical, (--CO.sub.2 H) is an aromatic carboxylic acid group, and p is 1 or 2 with an aromatic compound H--Ar'--OH where Ar' is an aromatic radical and --H and --OH are aromatically bound para to each other in a benzenoid ring, in the presence of an alkyl sulphonic acid, particularly methane sulphonic acid, to produce a hydroxy arylophenone of formula Ar(--CO--Ar'--OH).sub.p where the carbonyl and hydroxyl groups are para to each other in the hydroxyl-containing benzenoid ring of Ar'. The production of the hydroxy arylophenone proceeds through the intermediate ester (H--Ar'--O--CO--).sub.p Ar and the production of the hydroxy arylophenone starting from the ester is also claimed.

Abstract: Production of aromatic polyethers by reacting (i) a mixture of a bisphenol and a dihalobenzenoid compound or (ii) a halophenol, in which dihalobenzenoid compound or halophenol the halogen atoms are activated by ortho or para --SO.sub.2 -- or --CO-- groups, with an alkali metal (bi)carbonate, wherein the reaction is carried out in the absence of a solvent and in the presence of an infusible particulate support substance, preferably inorganic or polymeric, yielding a reaction medium in the form of a free-flowing powder by the end of the reaction.

Abstract: Tough crystalline thermoplastic aromatic polyetherketones containing the repeat units ##STR1## alone or in conjunction with other repeat units especially ##STR2## and having an inherent viscosity IV of at least 0.7, preferably at least 0.8. The polymers may be made by condensation of hydroquinone, 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone and an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate in the presence of an aromatic sulphone solvent, e.g. diphenylsulphone, at 150.degree.-400.degree. C. The polymers are very useful for wire coating.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone. 4,4-difluorobenzophenone may be prepared by diazotization of 4,4'-diamino-diphenylmethane in anhydrous or concentrated aqueous hydrogen fluoride, decomposition of the diazonium fluoride thus produced to yield 4,4'-difluoro-diphenylmethane and oxidation of 4,4'-difluoro-diphenylmethane to yield 4,4'-difluorobenzophonone.Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a process for the preparation of 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone which comprises the following steps:(1) diazotization of 4,4'-diamino-diphenylmethane in anhydrous or concentrated aqueous hydrogen fluoride to yield a solution of a corresponding diazonium fluoride; and(2) (i) thermally decomposing the diazonium fluoride in the solution thus produced to yield 4,4'-difluoro-diphenylmethane and (ii) subsequently oxidizing the 4,4'-difluoro-diphenylmethane to yield 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone.

Abstract: Tough crystalline thermoplastic aromatic polyetherketones containing the repeat units ##STR1## alone or in conjunction with other repeat units especially ##STR2## and having an inherent viscosity IV of at least 0.7, preferably at least 0.8. The polymers may be made by condensation of hydroquinone, 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone and an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate in the presence of an aromatic sulphone solvent, e.g. diphenylsulphone, at 150.degree.-400.degree. C. The polymers are very useful for wire coating.