| Abstract: | Three diethynylated bisbenzimidazole prepolymers were synthesized and their polymerization characteristics examined. N-phenyl-substituted diethynylated bisbenzimidazoles melted between 250 and 265°C and had gel times of several seconds to several minutes. In contrast, an N-phenoxyphenyl diethynylated bisbenzimidazole melted at a temperature sufficiently low (ca. 150°C) to provide a 5-min gel time at 170°C and a 4-min gel time at 210°C. This material showed promise as a potential laminating resin and a brief screening of the prepolymer for this application was carried out. The polymers of both N-phenyl- and N-phenoxyphenyl-substituted diethynylated bisbenzimidazoles showed apparent degradation temperatures of 500°C or greater when examined by thermogravimetric analysis. |
