Kinetics of reaction between hydrogenated dimer fatty acid C36 and 4,4′-methylene bis(cyclohexylamine): determination of thermodynamic constants.

This study examined the kinetic reaction between hydrogenated dimer fatty acid C36 and 4,4′-methylene bis(cyclohexylamine) in the melt phase at 140, 145, 150, 160, and 165 ºC. The acid value, degree of polymerization, number average molecular weight, and weight average molecular weight were calculated at different times. Infrared spectroscopy was used to determine the structure of the resulting polymer. The kinetic degradation was carried out using thermogravimetric analysis, and thermodynamic and equilibrium constants were defined. Additionally, differential scanning calorimetric was used to determine the thermodynamic constants for melting. The kinetic of the polyamidation reaction was discovered to be of overall second order, with an activation energy of 187.45 kJ/g mol up to 80, 84, 92, 93, and 94% conversion at 140, 145, 150, 160, and 165 ºC, respectively. After reaching these conversion percentages, the reaction becomes overall third order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]