Thermal and mechanical properties of oxymethylene linked polymers

A series of novel polymers has been prepared by linking together copolymers of oxyethylene and oxypropylene with an oxymethylene link. Oxymethylene linked (OML) polymers have been made by a step polymerization reaction. Three different OML polymers have been synthesized starting from three different short chain triblock (ABA) copolymers of poly(oxyethylene) (A) and poly(oxypropylene) (B). These polymers have been characterized by gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The mechanical properties of the cast films and the rheological properties of aqueous solutions of these new polymers have been studied. It has been observed that it is possible to modulate the thermal and mechanical properties of these polymers by changing the starting materials.