Synthesis and characterization of novel benzhydrol-containing poly(amide-imide)s

A series of novel benzhydrol-containing poly(amide-imide)s (PAIs) have been prepared from a new diimide-dicarboxylic acid, N,N′-bis(4-hydroxycarbonyl)-benzhydrol-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxydiimide (BHTDA-DIA), with various diamines by direct polycondensation using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. The polymers obtained had inherent viscosities of 0.35–0.96 dl g⁻¹. All these PAIs, except polymer PAI-2, were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and N,N-dimethylacetamide containing LiCl (1 wt%). Tough and flexible PAI films could be obtained by casting PAIs from their DMAc or NMP solutions, except for polymer PAI-2. The polymer films had a tensile strength of 93–111 MPa, an elongation at break range of 4–6%, and an initial modulus range of 2.7–3.8 GPa. The glass transition temperatures of most polymers were found to be above 255 °C. These polymers were fairly stable up to a temperature around or above 400 °C, and lost 10% weight in the range 426–507 °C in nitrogen and 423–515 °C in air. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation of polyimides derived from biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydrides and aromatic diamines bearing alkylene spacers

Four series of aromatic polyimides (PIs V–VIII) composed of biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydrides (BPDAs) and aromatic diamines bearing alkylene spacers were prepared by two methods. Most polymers could be readily prepared in a one‐step method for the combination of a‐BPDA with α,ω‐bis(3‐aminophenoxy)alkanes, a‐BPDA with α,ω‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)alkanes, and s‐BPDA with α,ω‐bis(3‐aminophenoxy)alkanes. However, the polymerization of s‐BPDA with α,ω‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)alkanes gave powders. On the other hand, all four monomer combinations afforded the desired polyamic acid solution in a two‐step method. These polymer solutions could be cast into tough and flexible films, which were characterized by their inherent viscosity, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical spectrometry measurements. The glass transition temperatures (T_gs) of the polymers were in the range of 110–240°C, but they were not clearly defined for PIs VIII and VI. The 5% weight loss temperatures were around 450°C for all prepared PIs. For PI VIII an “odd–even” behavior of the tensile properties of the films was detected, corresponding to the reported behavior of the melting temperatures. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 2404–2413, 1999     

Preparation and properties of novel fluorinated polyimides based on 2,2′,6,6′-tetrafluorobenzidine

Fluorinated polyimides were prepared from 2,2′,6,6′-tetrafluorobenzidine and four conventional dianhydride monomers by a solution polycondensation reaction followed by a chemical imidization. Polyimide based on 2,2′,6,6′-tetrafluorobenzidine and hexafluoroisopropylidene bis(3,4-phthalic anhydride) (6FDA) is soluble in organic solvents such as NMP, DMA, DMF, THF, chloroform, and acetone while those based on 2,2′,6,6′-tetrafluorobenzidine and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), benzophenone-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (BTDA), diphenylether-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (ETDA) are not. Polyimide from 2,2′,6,6′-tetrafluorobenzidine and 6FDA possesses high optical transparency at 350–700 nm and has a in-plane refractive index of 1.558 at 632.8 nm. All polyimides exhibit glass transition temperatures above 350°C. They also possess very high thermal stability. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 70: 1605–1609, 1998     

Preparation and properties of flame-retardant polyphosphate esters: Low-temperature solution polycondensation of 3,3,′5,5′-tetrabromobisphenol AF and aryl phosphorodichloridates

This article describes the syntheses of aromatic polyphosphates from the reaction of various aryl phosphorodichloridates with 3,3′,5,5′-tetrabromobisphenol AF (TBPAF) in a chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent under low-temperature conditions. The new polyphosphates obtained were characterized by infrared, ¹³C and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, elemental analysis, inherent viscosity, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, limiting oxygen index, contact angle, and molar mass measurement. All of the polyphosphates obtained had high yields, and the inherent viscosities were in the range 0.12 - 0.15 dL g⁻¹. All of the polymers start degrading between 210 and 267°C and had 14 - 26% residual mass at 700°C in nitrogen. Polymer E, having a methoxy group in the side chain phenyl ring, showed better thermal stability than the other polymers. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that all of the polyphosphates were amorphous. These polyphosphates had glass transition temperatures between 140 and 154°C. Polymers obtained from TBPAF had excellent flame retardency, as indicated by high limiting oxygen index values in the range of 63 - 68. The water contact angles (θ_w) of all of the polyphosphates were in the range of 74 - 87°. The contact angles of polymers A and B were larger than those of other polyphosphates that contain more oxygen (polymers C and E) or bromine atoms (polymer D). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 65: 59–65, 1997     

Preparation of polyamides containing para-linked dimethylbiphenylene moieties

A series of wholly aromatic polyamides containing 3,3′-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid (P-DMBA) and 3,4′-dimethylbiphenyl-4,3′-dicarboxylic acid (Q-DMBA) was prepared by the direct polycondensation method using triphenylphosphite and pyridine. Most of the polymers are readily soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N′-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), pyridine (py), and m-cresol and could be cast into tough and flexible films. The solubilities of copolyamides containing P-DMBA and Q-DMBA as acid components were remarkably improved. These were characterized by inherent viscosity, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic mechanical spectrometry (DMS) measurements. The glass transition temperatures of these polymers were in the range of 200–300°C and the 5% weight loss temperatures were 430–470°C. Films prepared by casting from polymer solutions exhibited good tensile properties. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68:847–853, 1998     

Copolyimides from 2,3,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride and pyromellitic dianhydride with 4,4′-oxydianiline

A series of copolyimides were prepared via the polyamide acids (polyamic acids) from the reaction of 2,3,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) with 4,4′-oxydianiline (4,4′-ODA) at dianhydride molar ratios of 9:1, 7:3, 1:1, 3:7 and 1:9. Homopolymers and a 1:1 polymer blend were also prepared. Films from the 7:3, 1:1 and 3:7 molar ratio polyamide acids reacted for 5-6 h at ambient temperature were brittle, whereas films from the same polyamide acids reacted for 24-48 h at ambient temperature were fingernail creaseable. The difference was apparently due to the initial formation of incompatible block domains that underway randomization upon longer reaction time. The differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) curves of some of the brittle films quenched after heating to 400 °C had two apparent glass transition temperatures (T_gs), indicative of two block domains. The creaseable films quenched after heating to 400 °C had single T_gs. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction showed all films to be amorphous even though the initial DSC curves showed strong endothermic peaks, generally associated with crystalline melts. These strong endotherms near the T_g region were thought to be due to relaxation of regions in the highly stressed films. Films of copolyamide acids from the reaction of 1:1 molar ratios of 3,3′,4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride/a-BPDA and 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride/a-BPDA with 4,4′-ODA reacted for 6 h were fingernail creaseable. The chemistry and the properties of the copolymers are compared with those of the homopolymers.     

Synthesis and hydrolysis study of polyacrylates containing 2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide

Monomers (meth)acryloyloxy-2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide have been synthesized by treating 2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide (niclosamide) with acryloyl or methacryloyl chloride, and polymerized by free radical polymerization to give a polymer containing chemically bonded niclosamide. The structure of monomer and polymer were confirmed by IR, UV, and elemental analysis. Hydrolysis data of polymer in different media indicated that the hydrolysis rates of polymer were strongly dependent on the nature of the polymer structure and the hydrolyzing medium. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 29–33, 1997     

Synthesis and properties of organosoluble poly(ether imide)s containing 4,4′(octahydro-4,7-methano-5H-inden-5-ylidene) cardo group

A series of organosoluble aromatic poly(ether imide)s (PEIs) VIIa-k were synthesized from 4,4′-[(octahydro-4,7-methano-5H-inden-5-ylidene)bis(1,4-phenylene)dioxy] diphthalic dianhydride (IV) and various aromatic diamines. PEIs synthesized through two-stage polymerization had inherent viscosities of 0.51–0.64 dL/g. This series of polymers could also be synthesized from IV and diamines in a small amount of refluxing m-cresol in a one-step process and had inherent viscosities of 0.65–0.87 dL/g. For the low melting point diamines (Vj and Vk), polymers could be obtained by bulk polymerization and had inherent viscosities of 0.36 and 0.41 dL/g. Polymers showed good organosolubility and could be cast into transparent, flexible, and tough polyimide films with good tensile properties. These PEIs had glass transition temperatures among 203–281°C. Thermogravimetric analyses established that these polymers were fairly stable up to 430°C, and the 10% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the range of 473–503°C in nitrogen and 481–512°C in air atmosphere. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 987–996, 1999     

Synthesis and properties of TLCPs with 2,6‐naphthalene‐based mesogen,polymethylene spacer,and nonlinear 4,4′‐thiodiphenyl links

A series of new thermotropic main‐chain liquid crystalline copolyesters were prepared by polycondensation of 2,6‐naphthalenedicarbonyl chloride, 4,4′‐thiodiphenol, and α,ω‐alkanediols (n = 4–10) in diphenyl ether at 200°C. Thermal transition behaviors of these copolyesters were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. Moreover, their thermal stabilities and mesomorphic textures were studied by thermogravimetric analysis and polarizing optical microscopy, respectively. Corresponding model compounds with terminal mesogenic units and central polymethylene spacers were also synthesized for comparison. Both copolymers and model compounds exhibit odd–even dependency of melting temperatures, transition enthalpy (ΔH_m), and entropy (ΔS_m) on the number of methylene units in the spacer. However, the odd–even effects in model compounds are much more distinctive. Nematic mesophases are the only texture observed in melts, except the model compounds with longer methylene units (n = 8, 10), in which smectic mesophases can be observed. The T_m values of the copolyesters (TDP/HD = 1/1) are between 233 and 259°C, depending on spacer length. The initial decomposition temperatures of the copolyesters are above 419°C under N₂ atmosphere. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1536–1546, 2002     

Preparation and properties of organo‐soluble polyimides based on 4,4′‐diamino‐3,3‐dimethyldiphenylmethane and conventional dianhydrides

4,4′‐Diamino‐3,3′‐dimethyldiphenylmethane was used to prepare polyimides in an attempt to achieve good organo‐solubility and light color. Polyimides based on this diamine and three conventional aromatic dianhydrides were prepared by solution polycondensation followed by chemical imidization. They possess good solubility in aprotonic polar organic solvents such as N‐methyl 2‐pyrrolidone, N,N‐dimethyl acetamide, and m‐cresol. Polyimide from 4,4′‐diamino‐3,3′‐dimethyldiphenylmethane and diphenylether‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride is even soluble in common solvents such as tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. Polyimides exhibit high transmittance at wavelengths above 400 nm. The glass transition temperature of polyimide from 4,4′‐diamino‐3,3′‐dimethyldiphenylmethane and pyromellitic dianhydride is 370°C, while that from 4,4′‐diamino‐3,3′‐dimethyldiphenylmethane and diphenylether‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride is about 260°C. The initial thermal decomposition temperatures of these polyimides are 520–540°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 1299–1304, 1999     

A study on the preparation and properties of alicyclic polyimides based on 3-carboxylmethylcyclopentane–1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid dianhydride

Alicyclic polyimides were prepared from 3-carboxylmethyl-cyclopentane–1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid dianhydride and conventional aromatic diamines. These polyimides possess good solubility in strong polar solvents, such as N-methyl pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethyl acetamide, N,N-dimethyl formamide, and m-cresol. They are transparent and colorless. The glass transition temperatures are about 181°C, and the initial thermal decomposition temperatures in N₂ were observed to be 441–477°C. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:2105–2109, 1998     

New organosoluble and thermally stable poly(urea-imide)s prepared from one-pot polyaddition reactions

A new class of aromatic poly(urea-imide)s having biphenylene pendant group was prepared by the diphenyl azidophosphate (DPAP) activated one-pot polyaddition reaction of a preformed imide ring-containing dicarboxylic acid, 4-p-biphenyl-2,6-bis(4-trimellitimidophenyl)pyridine ( 1 ) with various aromatic diamines. A model compound was also synthesized by the reaction of diimide-dicarboxylic acid 1 with two mole equivalents of aniline. In this direct method the polymers were prepared by polyaddition reactions of the in situ-formed diisocyanate with the aromatic diamines. The inherent viscosities of the polymers were measured in the range of 0.11–0.15 dL g⁻¹. The ultraviolet λ_max values of the poly(urea-imide)s were also determined. Furthermore, crystallinity of the resultant polymers was evaluated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction method, and they exhibited nearly a noncrystalline nature. All of the resulting polymers exhibited excellent solubility in common polar solvents. The glass transition temperatures of the polymers determined by DSC thermograms were in the range 241–272°C. The temperatures at 10% weight loss from their TGA curves were found to be in the range 406–437°C in nitrogen. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Effects of addition orders on the properties of fluorine‐containing copolyimides

A series of fluorine‐containing copolyimides were synthesized by three different orders of addition of monomers. The fluorine‐containing copolyimides were prepared by the reaction of 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) with 2,2′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6FDA), and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA). The synthesis reactions of the copoly(amic acid)s (PA) were carried out by three different orders of addition of the monomers with different molar ratios of 6FDA to PMDA. The viscosity of the PA solution obtained by DDM–(6FDA+PMDA), that is, 6FDA and PMDA added simultaneously to DDM in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone (NMP), was higher than the other two addition orders (i.e., DDM–6FDA–PMDA and DDM–PMDA–6FDA). The viscosity decreased as the relative amount of 6FDA to PMDA increased. The copolyimides formed by different addition orders but the same 6FDA‐to‐PMDA molar ratios contained different properties, such as dielectric constant, moisture absorption, contact angle, and optical transparency. All of these copolyimides were insoluble in common organic solvents, such as NMP and tetrahydrofuran. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the onset temperature of 8% weight loss decreased slightly as [6FDA] : [PMDA] increased. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 3252–3258, 2000     

Thermal and thermo‐oxidative degradation properties of poly(benzimidazole amide imide) copolymers

In this study, 3,3′‐dinitrobenzidine was first reacted with excess isophthaloyl chloride to form a monomer with dicarboxylic acid end groups. Two types of aromatic dianhydride, [viz., pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 3,3′,4,4′‐sulfonyldiphthalic anhydride (DSDA)] also were reacted with excess 4,4′‐diphenyl‐ methane diisocyanate (MDI) to form polyimide prepolymers terminated with isocyanate groups. The prepolymers were reacted further with the diacid monomer to form a nitro group–containing aromatic poly(amide imide) copolymers. The nitro groups in these copolymers were hydrogenated to form amine groups and cyclized at 180°C to form the poly(benzimidazole amide imide) copolymers in polyphosphoric acid (PPA), which acts as a cyclization agent. From the viscosity measurements, copolymer appeared to be a reasonably high molecular weight. From the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements it was shown that the glass transition temperature of copolymers was in the range of ～270–322°C. The 10% weight loss temperatures were in the range of 460 ～ 541°C in nitrogen and ～441–529°C in air, respectively. The activated energy and the integration parameter of degradation temperature of the copolymers were evaluated with the Doyle‐Ozawa method. It indicated that these copolymers have good thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability with the increase in imide content. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2072–2081, 2004     

Preparation and characterization of 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride-pyromellitic diahydride alternating polyimides

Four kinds of 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA)-pyromelliitic dianhydride (PMDA) alternating polyimide (BTDA-PMDA API) were obtained by reacting 1 mol BTDA with 2 mol diamines to form BTDA chain-extended diamines (BTDA CED), followed by the addition of 1 mol PMDA to yield the BTDA-PMDA alternating polyamic acids (BTDA-PMDA APA), and finally by imidizing them thermally. BTDA CED were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared (IR), and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The structures of BTDA-PMDA APA and BTDA-PMDA API were investigated by IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, and their thermal properties and interfacial tension were also studied. Furthermore, the characteristic properties of BTDA-PMDA API were compared with their corresponding homopolyimides from BTDA (BTDA HPI) and from PMDA (PMDA HPI). It was found that the alternating condensation polymerization is an effective method to modify polyimides interfacial tension with a small influence on the thermal stability. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 1585–1593, 1997     

Synthesis and properties of polyamides based on 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐hexahydro‐4,7‐methanoindan

A new diamine 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐hexahydro‐4,7‐methanoindan ( 3 ) was prepared through the nucleophilic displacement of 5,5′‐bis(4‐hydroxylphenyl)‐hexahydro‐4,7‐methanoindan ( 1 ) with p‐halonitrobenzene in the presence of K₂CO₃ in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by catalytic reduction with hydrazine and Pd/C in ethanol. A series of new polyamides were synthesized by the direct polycondensation of diamine 3 with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids. The polymers were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.76–1.02 dl g⁻¹. All the polymers were soluble in aprotic dipolar solvents such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), and could be solution cast into transparent, flexible and tough films. The glass transition temperatures of the polyamides were in the range 245–282 °C; their 10% weight loss temperatures were above 468 °C in nitrogen and above 465 °C in air. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of novel polyaspartimides derived from 2,2′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bis(4‐maleimidophenoxy)biphenyl and various diamines

A novel bismaleimide, 2,2′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bis(4‐maleimidophenoxy)biphenyl, containing noncoplanar 2,2′‐dimethylbiphenylene and flexible ether units in the polymer backbone was synthesized from 2,2′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)biphenyl with maleic anhydride. The bismaleimide was reacted with 11 diamines using m‐cresol as a solvent and glacial acetic acid as a catalyst to produce novel polyaspartimides. Polymers were identified by elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy, and characterized by solubility test, X‐ray diffraction, and thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis). The inherent viscosities of the polymers varied from 0.22 to 0.48 dL g⁻¹ in concentration of 1.0 g dL⁻¹ of N,N‐dimethylformamide. All polymers are soluble in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, pyridine, m‐cresol, and tetrahydrofuran. The polymers, except PASI‐4, had moderate glass transition temperature in the range of 188°–226°C and good thermo‐oxidative stability, losing 10% mass in the range of 375°–426°C in air and 357°–415°C in nitrogen. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 279–286, 1999     

Organosoluble and light‐colored fluorinated polyimides derived from 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy) phenyl]‐4,7‐methanohexahydroindan

A novel bis(ether amine) monomer, 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)phenyl]‐4,7‐methanohexahydroindan ( 2 ), was synthesized through the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of 5,5′‐bis‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐4,7‐methanohexahydroindan with 2‐chloro‐5‐nitrobenzotrifluoride to yield the intermediate dinitro compound, followed by catalytic reduction with hydrazine and Pd/C. A series of polyimides were synthesized from 2 and various aromatic dianhydrides using a standard two‐stage process with chemical or thermal imidization of poly(amic acid). All of these polymer films were soluble in amide‐type solvents above 10% w/v, had tensile strengths of 97–117 MPa, and the 10% weight loss temperature was above 464 °C with their residues exceeding 46% at 800 °C in nitrogen. Compared with the non‐fluorinated polyimides, the fluorinated series were observed to have lower dielectric constants (2.92–3.28 at 1 MHz) and lower moisture absorptions (0.15–0.43 wt%) as well as lower color intensity and better solubility. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of novel polyurethanes containing dioxybenzylidenecyanoacetate,as non‐linear optical chromophores and their properties

Methyl 3,4‐di‐(2′‐hydroxyethoxy)benzylidenecyanoacetate (3) was prepared by hydrolysis of methyl 3,4‐di‐(2′‐vinyloxyethoxy)benzylidenecyanoacetate (2). Diol 3 was condensed with 2,4‐toluenediisocyanate, 3,3′‐dimethoxy‐4,4′‐biphenylenediisocyanate, and 1,6‐hexamethylenediisocyanate to yield polyurethanes 4, 5 and 6 containing the non‐linear optical (NLO) chromophore 3,4‐dioxybenzylidenecyanoacetate. The resulting polyurethanes 4–6 were soluble in common organic solvents such as acetone and DMF. T_g values of the polymers obtained from DSC thermograms were in the range 80–102 °C. Polymers 4–6 showed thermal stability up to 300 °C in TGA thermograms, and electro‐optic coefficients (r₃₃) of the poled polymer films were in the range 10–12 pm V^?1 at 633 nm, which are acceptable for NLO device applications. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

New photoimageable dielectric insulating copolyester thin films: Synthesis and characterization

In this article, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a new family of photoimageable dielectric insulating polymer films. Four different photoimageable thin films have been prepared from all-aromatic and aromatic/aliphatic copolyesters, which exhibit good photospeed (10–180 s, 15.5 mW/cm² intensity), resolution and line width (10 μm), thermal stability (330–400°C), adhesion on different substrates, mechanical strength, and reasonable glass transition temperature (120–150°C). One feature of the new photoimageable copolyester is the formation of a low dielectric constant film (2.5 at 1 kHz, 25°C) upon curing at temperatures up to 280°C. The low dielectric constant is a result of foaming arising from evolution of by-products during curing. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 1199–1211, 1997