Synthesis and Kinetic Study of Thermal Cycloimidization of Novel Poly(Amide Amic Acid) to Poly(Amide Imide) by Thermogravimetric Analysis

A new series of fluorinated poly(amide imide)s (PAIs) were prepared by polycondensation of diamine amic acid (DAA) with isophthaloyl, terephthaloyl, or trimellitic anhydride chloride in dimethylformamide, and their subsequent thermal cycloimidization. DAAs were obtained by reacting 4, 4′ (hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) with diamines in dimethylformamide at 0–5°C. The kinetics of thermal cycloimidization of poly(amide amic acid) (PAA) to PAIs was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis under isothermal conditions at four different temperatures, i.e. 175, 200, 225, and 260°C, for 75 min. A generalized equation to calculate the theoretical amount of weight loss upon complete imidization, i.e. T_w % = 18Nw/R _Mw, was developed. In the above equation numeral 18 corresponds to the molecular weight of water, N is the number of water molecules, which are eliminated per repeat unit of PAA upon cycloimidization, w is the weight of PAA taken for TGA, and R _Mw is the molecular weight of the repeat unit of PAA. The polymers were characterized by FT-IR spectra. Complete cycloimidization process is discussed in terms of monomer structure (diamines and acid chlorides), effect of imidization temperature and time, types of linkages (meta or para) present, and influence of electron withdrawing groups, such as sulfone, in the monomer structure. It was observed that cycloimidization occurred at a faster rate at the beginning, up to about 30 min, and then proceeded at a slower rate till the end of curing. The thermal and thermooxidative stabilities of PAIs were also investigated in nitrogen and oxygen atmosphere.