Synthesis and properties of polyamide derived from piperazine and lower purity dimer acid as hot melt adhesive

Polyamide hot melt adhesive was synthesized from lower purity dimer acid (composition: ∼23% trimer acid, ∼75% dimer acid and ∼3% monomer acid), sebacic acid, ethylenediamine and piperazine. The effect of piperazine and dimer acid concentration on properties of polyamides such as thermal properties: fusion temperature (Tf), heat of fusion (Hf), crystallization temperature (Tc), heat of crystallization (Hc), softening point (Ts) and glass transition temperature (Tg), mechanical properties: tensile strength and hardness, adhesion properties like lap shear strength (LSS) and T-peel strength (TPS), and rheological properties were investigated. Concentration of piperazine was varied from 12.5 to 37.5 mol% while that of dimer from 37.5 to 42 mol%. Piperazine has one hydrogen atom on each of its two nitrogen atoms in the ring structure. When it undergoes reaction with acids to form polyamide, these hydrogen atoms get consumed, making the amide linkage unable to form hydrogen bonding with the neighboring polyamide polymer chains. This leads to decrease in crystallinity of the polyamide. Thus, as the mole percentage of piperazine in the polyamide increases, it becomes more amorphous, decreasing Tf, Hf, Tc, Hc, Ts, Tg, tensile strength, hardness, LSS, TPS and viscosity. Dimer acid and trimer acid are bulky compounds. As their percentages in the polyamide increase, it becomes difficult for the neighboring polyamide chains to come closer. Thus, inter-molecular hydrogen bonding decreases. This leads to decrease in crystallinity of the polyamide, lowering Tf, Hf, Tc, Hc, Ts, Tg, tensile strength, hardness, LSS, TPS and viscosity.