Poly(ether imide)s, PEIs, are thermally stable thermoplastics with uses in engineering, industrial, and medical fields. Their high mechanical strength, chemical resistance, and heat resistance are desirable qualities for a range of demanding applications. However, processability is a common difficulty for many applications with fine features. When utilized in small percentages, long-chain branching (LCB) is known to improve processability by lowering the melt viscosity while maintaining bulk mechanical properties. We synthesized multiple long-chain branched PEIs. We investigated the LCB-PEIs melt rheology, in order to further understand the effect of long-chain branching on processability. The LCB-PEIs showed significantly improved melt viscosities while their thermal stability remained similar to that of linear PEIs. Many analytical techniques, including differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and size-exclusion chromatography, provided an in-depth understanding of structure-property relationships.

Introduction of Long Chain Branching in Poly(ether imide)s: Branched Architectures for Improved Melt Processability

254th National Meeting (2017)

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