Soluble Imide Oligomers Containing Benzoxazole Structures

A series of soluble thermosetting polyimide resins containing benzoxazole structure were synthesized by two-step polymerization using 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (4-PEPA) as the end-capping reagent, 2-(4-aminophenyl)-5-aminobenzoxazole (BOA) and 3,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (3,4′-ODA) as the aromatic diamines, and 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) as the aromatic dianhydride. The imide oligomers were characterized by employing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solubility tests and rheological measurements. Thermosetting polyimides derived from the imide oligomers were then produced via a thermal cross-linking reaction of the phenylethynyl group. The thermal and mechanical properties of the thermosets were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMA), and mechanical property measurements. The effects of chemical architectures and molecular weights of the imide oligomers on processability, thermostability and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. The results showed that all the copolymerized imide oligomers possessed good solubility in organic and low melt viscosity, and the corresponding thermosets exhibited high glass transition temperature (up to 401°C) and 5% weight-loss temperature (up to 533°C) in an air atmosphere while excellent mechanical properties (flexural strength up to 217 MPa and elongation at break up to 11.2%). With the increase of the concentration of the benzoxazole group, the imide oligomers of PI-X-2 (-O-, -BO-, -B-) exhibited less solubility and higher minimum melt viscosity but improved glass transition temperature after curing and mechanical properties of their thermosets.