Phosphorus-Containing Flame-Retardant Benzocyclobutylene Composites with High Thermal Stability and Low CTE

As a component of printed circuit substrate, copper clad laminate (CCL) needs to meet the performance requirements of heat resistance, flame retardancy, and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), which, respectively, affects the stability, safety, and processability of terminal electronic products. In this paper, benzocyclobutylene (BCB)-functionalized phosphorus-oxygen flame retardant composites were prepared through introducing the BCB groups, and the performance was researched by thermogravimetric analysis, microcombustion calorimetry, and thermomechanical analysis. The research results show that these phosphorus oxide compounds containing BCB groups show good thermal stability and low total heat release (THR) after thermal curing, and the more BCB groups on the phosphorus oxide monomers, the better the thermal stability and flame retardancy of cured resins. The T_d5 and THR of the composite (M3) are as high as 443 °C and 23.1 kJ/g, respectively. In addition, the CTE of M3 is as low as 16.71 ppm/°C. Introduction of BCB groups which can be crosslinked through heat to improve the thermal stability, flame retardancy, and reduced CTE of traditional organophosphorus flame retardant materials. These materials are expected to be good candidates for CCL substrates for electronic circuits.

Silane Modified Diopside for Improved Interfacial Adhesion and Bioactivity of Composite Scaffolds

Diopside (DIOP) was introduced into polyetheretherketone/polyglycolicacid (PEEK/PGA) scaffolds fabricated via selective laser sintering to improve bioactivity. The DIOP surface was then modified using a silane coupling agent, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH570), to reinforce interfacial adhesion. The results showed that the tensile properties and thermal stability of the scaffolds were significantly enhanced. It could be explained that, on the one hand, the hydrophilic group of KH570 formed an organic covalent bond with the hydroxy group on DIOP surface. On the other hand, there existed relatively high compatibility between its hydrophobic group and the biopolymer matrix. Thus, the ameliorated interface interaction led to a homogeneous state of DIOP dispersion in the matrix. More importantly, an in vitro bioactivity study demonstrated that the scaffolds with KH570-modified DIOP (KDIOP) exhibited the capability of forming a layer of apatite. In addition, cell culture experiments revealed that they had good biocompatibility compared to the scaffolds without KDIOP. It indicated that the scaffolds with KDIOP possess potential application in tissue engineering.

Flexible, Highly Durable, and Thermally Stable SWCNT/Polyimide Transparent Electrodes

Flexible, transparent, and electrically conducting electrode materials are highly desired for flexible electronic applications. With a highly transparent polyimide (PI) as a substrate, a comprehensive and comparative study was performed to investigate four different fabrication schemes in producing transparent and electrically conducting SWCNT/PI electrodes. A very promising method that involves an in situ imidization process and nitric acid doping treatment was identified, which led to the fabrication of highly durable and thermally stable SWCNT/PI electrodes. The best performed electrode has a transmission of 77.6% at 550 nm and a sheet resistance (Rs) of 1169 ± 172 Ω/□, which appeared no changes after repeating tests of bending, folding-unfolding, adhesive-tape-peeling-off, and wet tissue-paper scratching/wiping. The excellent thermal stability of such fabricated SWCNT/PI electrode is manifested by the very high glass transition temperature of 290.1 °C and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 28.5 ppm °C(-1) in the temperature range from 75 to 200 °C. The new method expects to be able to pave the way in facile production of high-performance flexible, transparent, and conducting electrodes.

Ternary composites of linear and hyperbranched polyimides with nanoscale silica for low dielectric constant, high transparency, and high thermal stability

A new series of ternary polyimide–silica composites was developed to obtain polymer films with low dielectric constant, high optical transparency, and good thermal stability.

Highly dispersible ternary composites with high transparency and ultra low dielectric constants based on hyperbranched polyimide with organosilane termini and cross-linked polyimide with silica

Flexible insulating materials that are both thermally and mechanically stable, highly transparent, and have low dielectric constants are highly desirable for electronic applications.