Polyimides are desirable materials for space applications due to their ability to retain their physical and mechanical properties over a wide range of temperatures. The use of triptycene or triptycene derivatives in the polyimide backbone has been shown to enhance thermal stability as well as decrease density and increase free volume[ii]. Polyimide aerogels have been fabricated to maintain the same high temperature use with increased porosity, lighter weight and extremely low densities[iii]. It is expected that these characteristics will be enhanced by incorporation of large three-dimensional rigid triptycene monomers into the backbone of the polyimide chain. Augmented characteristics may include greater thermal stability, higher glass transitions, increased tensile strength, and lower refractive indices and dielectric constants. These multifunctional materials may find use in aerospace applications as ultra-lightweight structures for habitats, inflatable decelerators, and insulation for rovers or EVA suits for astronauts. Connell JW, Smith JG, Hergenrother PM High Performance Polymers 2003 15, 375-394 [ii] Chen,Z; Swager, TM; Macromolecules 2008, 41, 6880-6885. [iii] Meador MAB, Malow EJ, Silva R, Wright S, Quade D, Vivod SL, Guo H, Guo J, Cakmak M ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2012 4, 536-544

Large molecule incorporation into polyimide aerogel matrix for enhanced aerospace application

249th National Meeting (2015)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.