Brooks & Kushman P.C.
High glass transition temperature, ductile, and processable thermoplastic containing conformable ring segments
 The present invention pertains to novel synthetic polymers which contain bulky carboxylic monomer units which contain minimally two aryl rings linked by one or more linking groups such that rotation of the aryl rings relative to each other is structurally prohibited, thus being a rigid bulky monomer unit, or sterically disfavored, thus being a rotationally hindered bulky monomer, and which contain at least one flexibilizing monomer which contains a six- to twelve-membered, conformable carboxylic structure. The bulky and flexible monomer units are linked by suitable linking groups to form polymers which exhibit high T.sub.g but which exhibit ductile behavior. The polymers have optical properties suitable for use as optical disks and other optical elements. 
The Regents of the University of Michigan
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C08G Y10T C08G
inventional additional inventional
Albert F. Xiangyang
Yee Li