Poly(ether-imide) and poly(ether-imide)-polydimethylsiloxane containing isopropylidene groups

A poly(ether-imide) was prepared by thermal imidization of poly(amic-acid) intermediate resulting from the solution polycondensation reaction of a bis(ether-anhydride), namely 2,2'-bis-[(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]-1,4-phenylene-diisopropylidene dianhydride, with an aromatic diamine containing two isopropylidene groups, namely 4,4'(1,4-phenylenediisopropylidene)bisaniline. A poly(ether-imide)polydimethylsiloxane copolymer was prepared by polycondensation reaction of the same bis(ether-anhydride) with an equimolar quantity of the aromatic diamine having isopropylidene groups and a bis(aminopropyl)polydimethylsiloxane oligorner of controlled molecular weight. A solution imidization procedure was used to convert quantitatively the poly(amic-acid) intermediates to the corresponding polyimides. The polymers were easily soluble in polar organic solvents and showed good thermal stability with decomposition temperature being above 400 degrees C. Electrical insulating properties of poly(ether-imide)-polydimethylsiloxane copolymer film were evaluated on the basis of dielectric constant and dielectric loss and their variation with frequency and temperature.