| Abstract: | High temperature thermoplastic polyamide-imides were prepared from a new series of aromatic diamines containing the diphenylsulfone unit and alternatively, oxydiphenyl and diphenylisopropylidene units. The polymers were prepared in their completely imidized form by using a facile in situ chemical imidization reaction which offers several advantages over the conventional thermal imidization process. The sulfone-based polyamide-imides exhibited an excellent combination of moldability, thermal stability, mechanical properties and solvent resistance. Analysis of the properties of these polymers in terms of structural variations permits a useful correlation of the effect of various structural units on performance. The polar diphenyl sulfone and amide-imide units increase the glass transition temperature and improve solvent resistance while the oxydiphenyl and diphenylisopropylidene units improve thermoplasticity. Sulfone ether diamine polyamide-imide (VI) offers the best combination of high temperature performance and moldability. |
