chemistry

Polyphenylene sulfide

Polyphenylene sulfide is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Polyphenylene sulfide rather than just read about it. In short: Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is an organic polymer consisting of aromatic rings linked by sulfides. Synthetic fiber and textiles derived from this polymer resist chemical and thermal attack.

Key takeaways

Polyphenylene sulfide belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Polyphenylene sulfide to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Polyphenylene sulfide from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is an organic polymer consisting of aromatic rings linked by sulfides. Synthetic fiber and textiles derived from this polymer resist chemical and thermal attack. PPS is used in filter fabric for coal boilers, papermaking felts, electrical insulation, film capacitors, specialty membranes, gaskets, musical instrument components and packings. PPS is the precursor to a conductive polymer of the semi-flexible rod polymer family. The PPS, which is otherwise insulating, can be converted to the semiconducting form by oxidation or use of dopants. Polyphenylene sulfide is an engineering plastic, commonly used today as a high-performance thermoplastic. PPS can be molded, extruded, or machined to tight tolerances. In its pure solid form, it may be opaque white to light tan in color. Maximum service temperature is 240 °C (464 °F). PPS has been found to not dissolve in any solvent at temperatures below approximately 200 °C (392 °F).

Manufacturers and trade names PPS is marketed by different brand names by different manufacturers. The major industry players are China Lumena New Materials, Solvay, Kureha, HDC Polyall, Celanese, DIC Corporation, Toray Industries, Zhejiang NHU Special Materials, SABIC, and Tosoh. Other manufacturers include Chengdu Letian Plastics, Lion Idemitsu Composites, and Initz (a joint venture of SK Chemicals and Teijin). The following are examples of brand names by manufacturer and PPS type:

Tedur, Albis Plastic, linear type DIC.PPS, DIC Corporation, linear and cross-linked DURAFIDE, Polyplastics Co. Ltd, linear type ECOTRAN, HDC Polyall, distributed and compounded via A. Schulman Fortron, Ticona, linear type Petcoal, Tōsō Therma-Tech TT9200-5001, PolyOne Corporation Ryton, Solvay Specialty Polymers, linear and cross-linked Torelina Toray NHU-PPS, Zhejiang NHU Company Ltd., linear type and cross-linked

Characteristics PPS is one of the most important high temperature thermoplastic polymers because it exhibits a number of desirable properties. These properties include resistance to heat, acids, alkalies, mildew, bleaches, aging, sunlight, and abrasion. It absorbs only small amounts of solvents and resists dyeing.

Production The Federal Trade Commission definition for sulfur fiber is "A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is a long chain synthetic polysulfide in which at least 85% of the sulfide (–S–) linkages are attached directly to two (2) aromatic rings." The generic name for this synthetic fiber is Sulfar. The PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) polymer is formed by reaction of sodium sulfide with 1,4-dichlorobenzene:

n ClC6H4Cl + n Na2S → [C6H4S]n + 2n NaCl

The process for commercially producing this material was initially developed by H. Wayne Hill Jr. and James T. Edmonds Jr. at Phillips Petroleum. N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) is used as the reaction solvent because it is stable at the high temperatures required for the synthesis and it dissolves both the sulfiding agent and the oligomeric intermediates. Linear, high-molecular-weight PPS that is capable of being extruded into film or melt spun into fiber was invented by Robert W. Campbell. The first U.S. commercial sulfur fiber was produced in 1983 by Phillips Fibers Corporation, a subsidiary of Phillips 66.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Polyphenylene sulfide

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Polyphenylene sulfide claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Polyphenylene sulfide before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Polyphenylene sulfide ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Polyphenylene sulfide

In research: Polyphenylene sulfide appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Polyphenylene sulfide in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Polyphenylene sulfide is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 3D printing materials, Molecular electronics, Organic polymers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Polyphenylene sulfide outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Polyphenylene sulfide in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Polyphenylene sulfide means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Polyphenylene sulfide out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Polyphenylene sulfide in simple terms?

Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is an organic polymer consisting of aromatic rings linked by sulfides. Synthetic fiber and textiles derived from this polymer resist chemical and thermal attack.

Why does Polyphenylene sulfide matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Polyphenylene sulfide?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Polyphenylene sulfide.