Poly(arylene sulfides) with pendant cyano groups as high‐temperature laminating resins

Poly(phenylene sulfides) were synthesized from m‐benzenedithiol and aromatic dibromides in a basic medium of potassium carbonate in dimethylformamide or dimethylacetamide. The products obtained were slightly off‐white with relatively low melting ranges and had inherent viscosities in the 0.2–0.4 dl/g range in hexamethylphosphoric triamide. Similar poly(phenylene sulfides) containing pendant cyano groups along the polymer chains were obtained by the use of 5 mole‐% of either 2,4‐dichlorobenzonitrile or 3,5‐dichlorobenzonitrile. The products were similar to the pure polyphenylene sulfides, except that they showed lower melting ranges and gave insoluble products when heated alone or in the presence of zinc chloride.