Polyphenylsulfone
Structural formula of the polysulfone PSU. 
Structural formula of the polysulfone PES.
Polyphenylsulfone (PPSF or PPSU) is a high performance polymer made of aromatic rings linked by sulfone (-SO2-) groups.[1]
Production
[edit | edit source]Several kinds of polysulfones are known, which vary according to the diphenoxy linkers.[2]
- Radel&Duradex PPSU, derived from 4,4'-biphenol and 4,4´-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone through salt formation and polycondensation.
- Victrex, derived from [O2S(C6H4OH)2, see bisphenol S
Compared with PSU, the molecular chain of PPSU does not contain isopropylidene but contains a large amount of biphenyl. Therefore, PPSU has higher heat resistance. However, the ether bond in the molecular chain can still provide a certain degree of flexibility, making it available to be used at a low temperature of -240°C. What’s more, the rigidity of the PPSU molecular chain is much higher than that of the PSU. As a result, withh higher melt viscosity is higher and worse melt fluidity it is more difficult to process PPSU.
Applications
[edit | edit source]PPSFs are moldable plastic often used in rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing (direct digital manufacturing) applications. Polyphenylsulfones are heat and chemical-resistant suited for automotive, aerospace, feeding bottle and plumbing applications, Polyphenylsulfone has no melting point, reflecting its amorphous nature,[3] and offers tensile strength up to 55 MPa (8000 psi). Its commercial name is Radel.[4] In plumbing applications, polyphenylsulfone fittings have been found to sometimes form cracks prematurely or to experience failure when improperly installed using non-manufacturer approved installation methods or systems.[5]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ PPSF for FORTUS 3D Production Systems Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Product Detail: Radel®
- ^ Failure Analysis of Plastic Crimp Fitting Assemblies
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