Carbochain and heterocha in polyamides are highly reactive compounds, and can be rather easily t ransform ed in to various polymer a na log whi ch in clude t hose with graft side cha ins. Thus, heterochain polyamides during reaction with formaldehyde in the presence of an acid or base, or in the presence of alcohol a nd mercaptan, easily fo rm, accordingly, N-methyl, N-alkoxymethyl, and N -alkylthiomethyl deri vatives. 1 In a reaction with ethylene ox ide, there a re formed graft N -oxyethylated derivatives of heterochain pol yam ides.
2Carbochain polyamides (fo r example, polyacry lamide and its homolog ') are capable of a ll reaction s of an amide group. Thu~, there are such polymer-a na log reactions of polyacrylamide and its homologs as saponification, imide formation , reaction with formald ehyde, reaction with forma ldehyde and a sulfite, reaction with sodium hypoch lori te (Hoffma n reaction), reaction with carboxyli c acid anhydrides, etc. 3 We inve tigated the regularity of oxyethylation of so me hetcroehain and carbochain polyamides having different structures a nd t he dependence of the physicochemi cal an d mechani cal properties upon t he content of ethylene oxide unit .The oxyethylation reaction wa studied under heterogeneous conditions. As the original heterocbain polyamides we selected polycaprolactam film s and powder, films of a mixed polyamide (Anide G-669), a filam ent (both oriented and unoriented) of polycaprolactam (Capwn) , polyhexamethylenc adipamide (Anid) , and a polyam ide from thiodivaleric ac id and hexamethylen<'diamine.We obtai ned oxyethylated polyamides containing from 5 to 54% polyethylene oxide.The use of a large exce s of ethy lene oxide promotes the synthesis of polyoxyethylated polyamides whieh have a high co ntent of polyethylene oxide.As indicated by the evenness of swell ing, the polyoxyethylation of polyamide films proceeds not only on the surface, but a lso t hroughout the entire body of the film. In some in tances, there is a lso complete solubili ty of the films following the reaction. However, on the surface of the 75
