Halatopolymers

The polymeric character of a series of salts derived from divalent metal ions and organic dibasic acids has been investigated. On melting, these salts form extremely viscous melts which cool to amorphous solids with polymerlike properties and excellent thermal stabilities. This change from a salt to a polymerlike structure appears to be novel and has been termed a halatopolymeric transformation. Halatopolymers are unique in that they have no end groups in the traditional sense. Essentially, the metal carboxylate groups undergo a rapid interchange to afford an association equilibrium of long chains. Studies of the effects of chain modifiers on a calcium sebacate melt at 386°C have indicated that on a time‐average basis the association consists of approximately ten repeat units.