Organo-Soluble, Segmented Rigid-Rod Polyimides: Synthesis and Properties

ABSTRACTSeveral segmented, rigid-rod polyimides have been prepared that are soluble in organic solvents in their fully imidized form. The polymers were prepared from commercial dianhydrides and 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,4′-diaminobiphenyl (TFMB). Their intrinsic viscosities ranged from 1.0 to 4.9 dL/g. Tough, colorless films could be cast from m-cresol solutions at 100°C. The polymers had glass transition temperatures (Tgs) above 275°C and displayed outstanding thermal and thermo-oxidative stability. Fibers were prepared from the 3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxybiphenyl dianhydride (BPDA) based polymers that had moduli of 130 GPa and tensile strengths of 3.2 GPa. The thermal expansion coefficients and dielectric constants of thin films (20–25 μm) of the polymers were as low as −2.40×10−6 and 2.5, respectively.