polyarylate

polyarylate, a family of high-performance engineering plastics noted for their strength, toughness, chemical resistance, and high melting points. They are employed in automotive parts, ovenware, and electronic devices, among other applications.

Polyarylates are a type of aromatic polyester. As in other polyesters, the multiple repeating units that make up the long, chainlike polyarylate molecules are linked together by ester groups (chemical formula CO-O). However, the presence of aromatic rings (bulky, hexagonal groups of carbon and hydrogen atoms) in the repeating units greatly stiffens the polymer chain by interfering with the rotation of the repeating units around the ester linkages. Two representative polyarylates are poly-4-hydroxybenzoate (also called poly-p-hydroxybenzoate) and polybisphenol-A terephthalate. The chemical structure of these compounds can be represented as:

Polybisphenol-A terephthalate does not begin to soften until heated above approximately 170 °C (340 °F). Its transparency and resistance to degradation from ultraviolet radiation make it suitable for use in solar-energy panels. Poly-4-hydroxybenzoate, a highly crystalline polymer consisting solely of aromatic rings linked by ester groups, does not soften below approximately 315 °C (600 °F). Blends of the latter resin with polytetrafluoroethylene, sold under the Ekonol trademark, are employed as self-lubricating bearings, O-ring seals, and pump vanes.