SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PROCESSABLE HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYMERS

Abstract

High Performance Polymers (HPP) is one of the specialty areas within polymer science. It has been recognized as a separate area within polymer chemistry for more than 60 years. Like many scientific disciplines, it has received most of its momentum from the space program owing to the need for ablative systems, high temperature adhesives and coating and heat- and flame-resistant fibers. As a loose definition, high performance polymers include all polymeric materials which exhibit thermal stability above 200°C and in addition have outstanding mechanical, electrical, optical, surface and rheological properties. High performance polymers such as polyimides, poly(ester-amide)s, poly(ester-imide)s, poly(ether-amide)s, poly(etherazomethine)s and polyesters with high thermal stability and good mechanical properties have been identified for a variety of applications, e.g., as engineering plastics for aerospace industries, in optical and electronic devices and also as films or membranes. But the high regularity and high rigidity of the backbone of high performance polymers results in strong interchain interactions, high melting points and low solubility. Therefore, in spite of having excellent combination of properties, most of the high-performance polymers have some serious drawbacks, e.g. insolubility in common organic solvents, intractability and infusibility that make their processing difficult and frequently limit their utility in several advanced technological applications. The objective of the present research was to use cyclopentanone as a starting material to design and produce several difunctional monomers such as aromatic diamines, diacids and dialdehydes.