Advances in Studies on the Synthesis and Properties of Bisphenol-A Polycarbonate

Advances in studies on the synthesis and modification of bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) are reviewed in this paper. The methods of polycarbonate synthesis, including the phosgene processes, oxidative carbonylation of Bisphenol -A (BPA) and transesterification, are discussed in detail, together with the effects of catalysts and reaction conditions on polycarbonate synthesis. The synthesis of PC from Diphenyl Carboanate (DPC) and Dimethyl Carbonate (DMC) is a phosgene-free process. The reaction between DPC and BPA will produce phenol as a condensation byproduct, whose removal often requires the conditions of high temperature and low vacuum pressure. So the quality of PC products may be severely affected with complicated byproducts. As a potential substitute for DPC, DMC reacts with BPA to produce polycarbonate precursors, with no need to obtain DPC. Furthermore, polycondensation steps of the prepolymers to remove methanol often are under a lower temperature. However, the reaction between BPA and DMC suffers from the equilibrium limitation, which needs to be alleviated under a proper reaction condition. The properties and modification of PC are analyzed, and the prospect of polycarbonate synthesis and modification is suggested.