Sulfur Versus Non-Sulfur Containing Polyimide Adhesives for Bonding Steel

Due to their superior thermal and chemical stability, polyimides are often used as adhesives in harsh environments. This study examines the effect on bond strength of thioether sulfur in the polyimide backbone. Bonds were made using steel that was believed to catalyze the oxidation of sulfur. In addition, non-sulfur containing polyimides with similar T_g were also studied for comparison. The polymer/metal interface was studied using both the T-peel and wedge tests. No apparent effect was observed in the T-peel test with steel where the T-peel strengths of non-sulfur and sulfur containing polyimides were similar. In the wedge test, however, the sulfur-containing BDSDA/ODA bonded to steel had the smallest initial crack length of 34 mm. However, the BTDA/APB bonds tested in a dry environment had the smallest crack growth. The sulfur-containing BTDA/ASD performed best of the bonds tested in a wet environment. Metal-catalyzed oxidation of sulfur was observed to take place in the steel case, but not to an extent to have a noticeable effect on peel strength.