Polypropylene/talc composites modified by a succinyl‐fluorescein grafted atactic polypropylene: A thermal and mechanical study under dynamic conditions

This article reports on the interfacial modifications induced by different amounts of a succinyl‐fluorescein grafted atactic polypropylene (a‐PP‐SF) as a truly interfacial agent in polypropylene/talc composite materials. The a‐PP‐SF used, which contains 4% grafts, was previously obtained in our laboratory by chemical modification of a byproduct from industrial polymerization reactors. Thermal and mechanical analyses of composites, performed under dynamic conditions, led to the correlation of parameters at the microscopic scale with others at the macroscopic scale. Thus, the interfacial effect caused by different amounts of a‐PP‐SF in the composite can be concluded by observations made at either scale. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1371–1382, 2002     

Synthesis and characterization of novel phenolic resins containing aryl‐boron backbone and their utilization in polymeric composites with improved thermal and mechanical properties

In the present study, a novel aryl‐boron‐containing phenolic resin named as PBPR has been synthesized from phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of phenylboronic acid. The chemical structure of the PBPR was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The molecular weight, viscosity and curing behavior were examined to demonstrate that PBPRs have better processability than common boric acid‐modified phenolic resin. The thermal stability and fracture toughness of the cured PBPRs were greatly enhanced, where the char yield at 1000°C (nitrogen atmosphere) and the glass transition temperature reached 70.0% and 218°C, respectively. The excellent mechanical and ablative properties of the PBPR composites may have benefited from the good interfacial adhesion between the resin matrix and the reinforced fiber. The flexural strength and the linear ablative rate are 436.8 ± 5.2 MPa and 0.010 mm/sec, respectively. This study opens a new window for the preparation of high‐performance ablative composites by designing a resin matrix containing an aryl‐boron backbone. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhancement of the thermal and mechanical properties of a surface‐modified boron nitride–polyurethane composite

Thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) elastomer, prepared from poly(tetramethylene glycol) and methyl diphenyl diisocyanate, was blended with boron nitride (BN) to fabricate a thermally conductive interface material. BN treated by a silane coupling agent (BN―NH₂) and PU‐grafted BN were prepared to fabricate a composite that has better thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. The surface‐modified filler showed enhanced dispersibility and affinity because of the surface treatment with functional groups that affected the surface free energy, along with the structural similarity of the doped crystallized diisocyanate molecule with the matrix. The thermal conductivity increased from 0.349 to 0.467 W mk^?1 on 20 wt% PU‐grafted BN loading that is a 1.34‐fold higher value than in the case of pristine BN loading at the same weight fraction. Moreover, the number of BN particles acting as defects, thereby reducing the mechanical strength, is decreased because of strong adhesion. We can conclude that these composite materials may be promising materials for a significant performance improvement in terms of both the thermal and mechanical properties of PU‐based polymers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Research on mechanical and dielectric properties of XLPE cable under accelerated electrical‐thermal aging

Research into the electrical‐thermal aging properties of cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable has great significance, because of its wide application. This study conducted accelerated electrical‐thermal aging tests on 10‐kV XLPE cable in order to assess the cable's mechanical and dielectric properties. After being aged by applying 34.8‐kV AC voltage at the four temperatures of 90, 103, 114, and 135°C, the cable samples were taken out in five stages according to the aging time and cut into slices. The slices were conducted experiments to test the breaking elongation, tensile strength, gel content, breakdown voltage, and frequency spectrums of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss. The results demonstrate that the mechanical strength and gel content of XLPE vary greatly under different aging temperatures, a finding that is associated with the crystallization characteristics of the material. The breakdown voltage shows a slight decreasing trend with aging time. The dielectric constant decreases with aging time in high‐frequency areas (10³–10⁶ Hz), while the dielectric loss factor increases with aging time at low frequencies (10^?2–0 Hz). These two parameters can be used to characterize the degree of aging in cable. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and mechanism of polyurethane prepolymer and boric acid co‐modified phenolic foam composite: Mechanical properties,thermal stability,and flame retardant properties

In this work, a new kind of co‐modified phenolic foam was synthesized with polyurethane prepolymer (PUP) and H₃BO₃ by a simple preparation method. Firstly, in order to determine the optimal amount of PUP, the effects of different PUP additions on the mechanical properties, foam microstructure, and pulverization rate of phenolic foam were investigated. Then H₃BO₃ was added to toughened phenolic foam, in order to reduce its fire hazard. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the PFPUP8 phenolic foam composite were the best when the PUP content was 8 wt%. It had a small and regular cell structure, and its pulverization ratio was reduced by 80% compared with that of pristine phenolic foam. Meanwhile, the flame retardant properties of PFPUP8 were improved in different degrees with an increase in the amount of H₃BO₃. Particularly, when the addition of H₃BO₃ was 10 wt%, the peak heat release rate, the total heat release, and the total smoke release values of PFPUP10B were decreased by 35.4%, 42.4%, and 45.2%, respectively, compared with those of PFPUP8. The value of the limit oxygen index was increased by 33.1%. Besides, the addition of H₃BO₃ had no adverse effect on the mechanical properties and pulverization ratio of PFPUP8. In addition, the specific mechanisms of toughening, flame retardant, and smoke suppression are also discussed in this paper on the basis of an investigation into the thermal properties of the toughened flame retardant foam composites by thermogravimetric analysis in N₂ atmosphere.     

Dielectric,thermal, and mechanical properties of CeO2‐filled HDPE composites for microwave substrate applications

Cerium oxide‐filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites for microwave substrate applications were prepared by sigma‐blend technique. The HDPE was used as the matrix and the dispersion of CeO₂ in the composite was varied up to 0.5 by volume fraction, and the dielectric properties were studied at 1 MHz and microwave frequencies. The variations of thermal conductivity (k_eff), coefficient of thermal expansion (α_c) and Vicker's microhardness with the volume fraction of the filler were also measured. The relative permittivity (ε_eff) and dielectric loss (tan δ) were found to increase with increase in CeO₂ content. For 0.4 volume fraction loading of the ceramic, the composite had ε_eff = 5.7, tan δ = 0.0068 (at 7 GHz), k_eff = 2.6 W/m °C, α_c = 98.5 ppm/°C, Vicker's microhardness of 18 kg/mm² and tensile strength of 14.6 MPa. Different theoretical approaches have been used to predict the effective permittivity, thermal conductivity, and coefficient of thermal expansion of composite systems and the results were compared with the experimental data. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 998–1008, 2010     

Alder‐ene polymers derived from allyl aralkyl phenolic resin and bismaleimides: carbon fiber composites properties

The influence of structural variations in bismaleimides (BMIs) on Alder‐ene polymerization of O‐allyl aralkyl phenolic resin [O‐allyl Xylok (OAX)] was examined. Toward this, three BMI functional monomers, viz. 2,2′‐bis 4‐[(4′‐maleimido phenoxy) phenyl] propane (BMIP), 4,4′‐Bismaleimido diphenyl methane (BMPM), and Bis 4‐maleimidodiphenyl ether (BMPE), were blended with OAX in different molar ratios. The cure characterization revealed that the allyl‐dominated blends cure by three distinct reaction steps whereas the maleimide‐dominated blends exhibit a two‐step reaction invariable with the maleimide structure. Introduction of more maleimide functionalities increased the T_g and thermal stability of the co‐cured network. Differences in the storage modulus values and T_g of the BMI/OAX systems were correlated to the chemical structure of the BMI and crosslink density. Flexural, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), and impact strength of the composites decreased systematically with the increase in maleimide content in the blend. Among the BMIs studied, T_g, thermal stability, and ILSS retention at elevated temperature were superior for BMPM/OAX blend owing to their high crosslink density and rigid backbone of the system. Allyl‐rich compositions exhibited improved mechanical properties owing to the better resin–reinforcement interaction as revealed from morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A feasible strategy to constructing hybrid conductive networks in PLA‐based composites modified by CNT‐d‐RGO particles and PEG for mechanical and electrical properties

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were successfully assembled by chemical reaction to obtain CNT‐d‐RGO particles. Then, a home‐made dynamic impregnating device was used to prepare hybrid CNT‐d‐RGO/polyethylene glycol (PEG). Next, the different modifiers, including CNTs, GO, CNT‐d‐RGO, PEG, and CNT‐d‐RGO/PEG, were, respectively, added into poly‐(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix via melt‐compounding. The dispersed morphology for these different modifiers within the PLA matrix was confirmed by SEM and TEM observations. Especially, compared with the identical weight ratio of CNT‐d‐RGO, the hybrid CNT‐d‐RGO/PEG within the PLA matrix exhibited an excellent exfoliated and interconnected networks morphology. Moreover, compared with pure PLA, not only the crystallinity of all PLA‐based composites notably improved, but half‐crystallization time was also shortened. Furthermore, despite the addition of different modifiers, the crystal form of PLA‐based composites remained unchanged. Noticeably, compared with those of pure PLA, the tensile stress, strain, and modulus of PLA composite added with CNT‐d‐RGO/PEG increased by 29.4%, 4.1%, and 56.1%, respectively, and the V‐notch impact strength slightly improved. In addition, compared with pure PLA, volume resistivity of the PLA composite added with 1 wt% CNT‐d‐RGO/PEG decreased by 93.1%, and its volume conductivity increased by five orders of magnitude.     

Effect of modified graphene and microwave irradiation on the mechanical and thermal properties of poly(styrene‐co‐methyl methacrylate)/graphene nanocomposites

The effect of modified graphene (MG) and microwave irradiation on the interaction between graphene (G) and poly(styrene‐co‐methyl meth acrylate) [P(S‐co‐MMA)] polymer matrix has been studied in this article. Modification of graphene was performed using nitric acid. P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer was blended via melt blending with pristine and MG. The resultant nanocomposites were irradiated under microwave at three different time intervals (5, 10, and 20 min). Compared to pristine graphene, MG showed improved interaction with P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer (P) after melt mixing and microwave irradiation. The mechanism of improved dispersion and interaction of modified graphene with P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer matrix during melt mixing and microwave irradiation is due to the presence of oxygen functionalities on the surface of MG as confirmed from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The formation of defects on modified graphene and free radicals on P(S‐co‐MMA) polymer chains after irradiation as explained by Raman spectroscopy and X‐Ray diffraction studies. The nanocomposites with 0.1 wt% G and MG have shown a 26% and 38% increase in storage modulus. After irradiation (10 min), the storage modulus further improved to 11.9% and 27.6% of nanocomposites. The glass transition temperature of nanocomposites also improved considerably after melt mixing and microwave irradiation (but only for polymer MG nanocomposite). However, at higher irradiation time (20 min), degradation of polymer nanocomposites occurred. State of creation of crosslink network after 10 min of irradiation and degradation after 20 min of irradiation of nanocomposites was confirmed from SEM studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thiourethane‐based thiol‐ene high Tg networks: Preparation,thermal, mechanical,and physical properties

Thiourethane‐based thiol‐ene (TUTE) films were prepared from diisocyanates, tetrafunctional thiols and trienes. The incorporation of thiourethane linkages into the thiol‐ene networks results in TUTE films with high glass transition temperatures. Increases of T_g were achieved by aging at room temperature and annealing the UV cured films at 85 °C. The aged/annealed film with thiol prepared from isophorone diisocyanate and cured with a 10,080‐mJ/cm² radiant exposure had the highest DMA‐based glass transition temperature (108 °C) and a tan δ peak with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 22 °C, indicating a very uniform matrix structure. All of the initially prepared TUTE films exhibited good physical and mechanical properties based on pencil hardness, pendulum hardness, impact, and bending tests. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5103–5111, 2007     

A thermal and mechanical study under dynamical conditions of polypropylene/mica composites containing atactic polypropylene with succinil‐fluoresceine grafted groups as interfacial modifier from the matrix side

The dynamic thermal and mechanical behavior of Polypropylene/Mica composites—with improved properties induced by the presence of succinil‐fluoresceine groups onto atactic polypropylene with different grafting levels—is the subject of this article. A further correlation of these with the macroscopic mechanical performance of the composite materials is also discovered. The atactic polypropylenes containing succinil‐fluoresceine grafted groups were previously obtained in our laboratories by chemical modification of a byproduct of industrial polymerization reactors. The interfacial modifications induced by replacing a little amount of polymer matrix in the composite material by the grafted atactic polypropylene is clearly concluded either from a microscopic or a macroscopic point of view. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1564–1574, 2000     

Bio‐based hyperbranched polyurethane/clay nanocomposites: adhesive,mechanical, and thermal properties

The unison of vegetable oil‐based hyperbranched polymers with nanotechnology can unhook myriad of avant‐garde applications of such materials. Thus Mesua ferrea L. seed oil‐based hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU)/clay nanocomposites and their performance, with special reference to adhesive strength, are reported for the first time. The nanocomposites of the hyperbranched polyurethane with organically modified nanoclay were obtained by ex situ solution technique and cured by bisphenol‐A‐based epoxy with poly(amido amine) hardener system. The partially exfoliated and well‐distributed structure of nanoclay was confirmed by XRD, SEM, and TEM studies. FTIR spectra indicate the presence of H‐bonding between nanoclay and the polymer matrix. Two times improvement in the adhesive strength and scratch hardness, 10 MPa increments in the tensile strength and 112°C more thermo‐stability have been observed without much affecting the impact resistance, bending, and elongation at break of the nanocomposites compared to the pristine epoxy modified HBPU system. Thus, the resulted nanocomposites are promising materials for different advanced applications including adhesive. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of imide functionalized organo‐modified Mg‐Al layered double hydroxide on the thermal and mechanical properties of new aliphatic‐aromatic poly (amide‐imide)

A new dicarboxylic acid modified Mg‐Al LDH (DLDH) containing imide groups was prepared and its effects on the thermal and mechanical properties of the new synthesized aliphatic‐aromatic poly (amide‐imide) (PAI) were investigated via preparation of PAI/nanocomposite films by solution casting method. The results of X‐ray diffraction (XRD), field emission‐scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed a uniform dispersion for LDH layers into the PAI matrix. For comparison, the effects of polyacrylic acid‐co‐poly‐2‐acrylamido‐ 2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid (PAMPS‐co‐PAA) modified Mg‐Al LDH (ALDH) on the PAI properties were also studied. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results exhibited that the temperature at 5 mass% loss (T₅) increased from 277 °C to 310 °C for nanocomposite containing 2 mass% of DLDH, while T₅ for nanocomposite containing 2 mass% of ALDH increased to 320 °C, along with the more enhancement of char residue compared to the neat PAI. According to the tensile test results, with 5 mass% DLDH loading in the PAI matrix, the tensile strength increased from 51.6 to 70.8 MPa along with an increase in Young's modulus. Also the Young's modulus of PAI nanocomposite containing 5 mass% ALDH reduced from 1.95 to 0.81 GPa.     

Aspect ratio effects of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes on electrical,mechanical, and thermal properties of polycarbonate/MWCNT composites

Two multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) having relatively high aspect ratios of 313 and 474 with approximately the same diameter were melt mixed with polycarbonate (PC) in a twin‐screw conical micro compounder. The effects of aspect ratio on the electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the PC/MWCNT composites were investigated. Electrical conductivities and storage moduli of the filled samples are found to be independent of the starting aspect ratio for these high aspect ratio tubes; although the conductivities and storage moduli are still significantly higher than values of composites made with nanotubes having more commercially common aspect ratios of ～100. Transmission electron microscopy results suggest that melt‐mixing reduces these longer nanotubes to the same length, but still approximately two times longer than the length of commercially common aspect ratio tubes after melt‐mixing. Molecular weight measurements show that during melt‐mixing the longer nanotubes significantly degrade the molecular weight of the polymer as compared to very similar nanotubes with aspect ratio ～100. Because of the molecular weight reduction glass transition temperatures predictably show a large decrease with increasing nanotube concentration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 73–83     

Structure and properties of star‐shaped solution‐polymerized styrene‐butadiene rubber and its co‐coagulated rubber filled with silica/carbon black‐I: morphological structure and mechanical properties

The morphological structure and mechanical properties of the star‐shaped solution‐polymerized styrene‐butadiene rubber (SSBR) and organically modified nanosilica powder/star‐shaped SSBR co‐coagulated rubber (N‐SSBR) both filled with silica/carbon black (CB) were studied. The results showed that, compared with SSBR, silica powder could be mixed into N‐SSBR much more rapidly, and N‐SSBR/SiO₂ nanocomposite had better filler‐dispersion and processability. N‐SSBR/SiO₂/CB vulcanizates displayed higher glass‐transition temperature and lower peak value of internal friction loss than SSBR/SiO₂/CB vulcanizates. In the N‐SSBR/SiO₂/CB vulcanizates, filler was dispersed in nano‐scale resulting in good mechanical properties. Composites filled with silica/CB doped filler exhibited more excellent mechanical properties than those filled with a single filler because of the better filler‐dispersion and stronger interfacial interaction with macromolecular chains. N‐SSBR/SiO₂/CB vulcanizates exhibited preferable performance in abrasion resistance and higher bound rubber content as the blending ratio of silica to CB was 20:30. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two‐step thermal conversion from poly(amic acid) to polybenzoxazole via polyimide: Their thermal and mechanical properties

Poly(amic acid) was synthesized with a low‐temperature solution polymerization of 3,3′‐dihydroxybenzidine and pyromellitic dianhydride in N,N‐dimethylacetamide. The cast films were thermally treated at various temperatures. The polyimide containing the hydroxyl group was rearranged by decarboxylation, resulting in a fully aromatic polybenzoxazole at temperatures higher than 430 °C. These stepwise cyclizations were monitored with elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Microanalysis results confirmed the chemical compositions of poly(amic acid), polyimide, and polybenzoxazole, respectively. A cyclodehydration from poly(amic acid) to polyimide occurred between 150 and 250 °C in differential scanning calorimetry, and a cyclodecarboxylation to polybenzoxazole appeared at 400–500 °C. All the samples were stable up to 625 °C in nitrogen and displayed excellent thermal stability. Polybenzoxazole showed better thermal stability than polyimide, but polyimide exhibited better mechanical properties than polybenzoxazole. However, polyimide showed a crystalline pattern under a wide‐angle X‐ray, whereas polybenzoxazole was amorphous. The precursor poly(amic acid) was readily soluble in a variety of solvents, whereas the polyimide and polybenzoxazole were not soluble at all. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2537–2545, 2000     

Effect of nano‐modified SiO2/Al2O3 mixed‐matrix micro‐composite fillers on thermal,mechanical, and tribological properties of epoxy polymers

Thermo‐mechanically durable industrial polymer nanocomposites have great demand as structural components. In this work, highly competent filler design is processed via nano‐modified of micronic SiO₂/Al₂O₃ particulate ceramics and studied its influence on the rheology, glass transition temperature, composite microstructure, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, micro hardness, and tribology properties. Composites were fabricated with different proportions of nano‐modified micro‐composite fillers in epoxy matrix at as much possible filler loadings. Results revealed that nano‐modified SiO₂/Al₂O₃ micro‐composite fillers enhanced inter‐particle network and offer benefits like homogeneous microstructures and increased thermal conductivity. Epoxy composites attained thermal conductivity of 0.8 W/mK at 46% filler loading. Mechanical strength and bulk hardness were reached to higher values on the incorporation of nano‐modified fillers. Tribology study revealed an increased specific wear rate and decreased friction coefficient in such fillers. The study is significant in a way that the design of nano‐modified mixed‐matrix micro‐composite fillers are effective where a high loading is much easier, which is critical for achieving desired thermal and mechanical properties for any engineering applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Statistical copolymers of N‐vinylpyrrolidone and 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate via RAFT: Monomer reactivity ratios,thermal properties,and kinetics of thermal decomposition

Statistical copolymers of N‐vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) with 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were prepared by Reversible Addition‐Fragmentation chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT), employing three different RAFT agents: [(O‐ethylxanthyl)methyl]benzene, [1‐(O‐ethylxanthyl)ethyl]benzene, and O‐ethyl S‐(phthalimidylmethyl) xanthate. The reactivity ratios were estimated using the Fineman‐Ross, inverted Fineman‐Ross, Kelen‐Tüdos, and extended Kelen‐Tüdos graphical methods, along with the computer program COPOINT. Structural parameters of the copolymers were obtained by calculating the dyad sequence fractions and the mean sequence length. All the methods indicate that the DMAEMA reactivity ratio is much greater than the one of NVP, thus, the statistical copolymers are in fact pseudo‐diblocks. The glass‐transition temperature (T_g) values of the copolymers were measured by Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Furthermore, a systematic and detailed investigation has been done, on the thermal degradation of the copolymers compared with the respective homopolymers, by Thermogravimetric Analysis, within the framework of the Ozawa‐Flynn‐Wall and Kissinger methodologies. Apparently, the thermal stability of the copolymers is influenced by both monomers and by the structure of the thiocarbonylthio end groups due to the RAFT agents. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3776–3787     

Nanoindentation of biodegradable cellulose diacetate‐graft‐poly(L‐lactide) copolymers: Effect of molecular composition and thermal aging on mechanical properties

Nanoindentation of cellulose diacetate‐graft‐poly(lactide)s (CDA‐g‐PLLAs) synthesized by ring opening graft copolymerization of L ‐lactide in bulk onto the residual hydroxyl positions on CDA were conducted to investigate the effect of the molecular composition and thermal aging on mechanical properties and creep behavior. Continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) technique was used to obtained hardness and elastic modulus. These material properties were expressed as a mean value from 100 to 300 nm depths and an unloading value at final indentation depth. The hardness and elastic modulus in all CDA‐g‐PLLAs were higher than those in pure CDA, indicating that the introduction of PLLA increases the hardness and elastic modulus. With an increase of crystallinity by thermal aging, the hardness and elastic modulus were increased in both CDA‐g‐PLLA and PLLA. The creep test performed by CSM showed that the creep strain of CDA was decreased by the grafting of PLLA. Thermal aging decreased the creep strain of CDA‐g‐PLLA and PLLA. With an increase of holding time, hardness was decreased, whereas elastic modulus was kept almost constant. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1114–1121, 2007     

Poly(ether‐imide) and related sepiolite nanocomposites: investigation of physical,thermal, and mechanical properties

Novel poly(ether‐imide) and sepiolite nanocomposites were synthesized based on a unique diamine monomer with the aim of improving physical and mechanical properties of final polyimide films. The diamine was polycondensed with 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride to produce related poly(ether amic acid) prepolymer. Pure poly(ether‐imide) and nanocomposite films were prepared via thermal imidization process of poly(ether amic acid). Coexistence of ether, pyridine, and phenylene functional groups in the diamine chemical structure resulted in flexible polyimide films with significant thermal, physical, and mechanical properties. Thermal stability, glass‐transition temperature, dimensional stability, and tensile properties of polymer and nanocomposites were studied and compared. Morphology of nanocomposites was also investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopic methods to study the distribution and dispersion behavior of sepiolite nanofibers in the polyimide matrix. By introduction of sepiolite nanoparticles, overall improvement of properties was observed in respect to pure polyimides. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.