Alternate poly(amide-imide)s based on 1,4-and 1,3-bis(4-trimellitimido)benzene and their mixtures

Several series of alternate poly(amide-imide)s [P(A-alt-I)s] were synthesized by aromatic dicarboxylic acid (I- p or I- m), which was prepared by the condensation of p-phenylenediamine (or m-phenylenediamine), trimellitic anhydride, and various aromatic diamines by means of direct polycondensation. A diimide-diacid (I- p) with a p-phenylene group was used to synthesize P(A-alt-I)s III, and P(A-alt-I)s IV were synthesized by a diimide-diacid (I- m) prepared from m-phenylenediamine. Another series of P(A-alt-I)s V was synthesized from both I- p and I- m (1/1 mole) with various diamines. Polymers of series III have low inherent viscosities and limited solubility, but polymers of series IV have high degrees of polymerization. Series V copolycondensated from I- p and I- m has improved solubility and degrees of polymerization relative to series III. The degree of crystallinity was found to be III > V > IV. Glass transition temperatures for most of series III were not observed below 400 °C, and those of series IV and V were in the range of 238–325 °C and 262–328 °C, respectively. The 10% weight loss temperatures in nitrogen or in air of these three series are all in the range of 482–582 °C. Because series V has limited solubility for casting into films from DMAc solutions, two diamines were selected to synthesize series VI by changing the I- p/I- m ratio. Solubility was improved when the content of I- p in diimide-diacid was less than 15%, and the degree of crystallinity reduced as the content of I- p in diimide-diacid decreased. Polymers containing a few I- p showed an increase in the initial modulus.