Polyimide Copolymers and Nanocomposites: A Review of the Synergistic Effects of the Constituents on the Fire-Retardancy Behavior

Poly(ester imide)s with Low Linear Coefficients of Thermal Expansion and Low Water Uptake (VIII): Structure-Flame Retardancy Relationship

A series of ester-linked tetracarboxylic dianhydrides containing multiple para-phenylene units (TA-pPhs) was synthesized to obtain novel modified polyimides, namely poly(ester imide)s (PEsIs). The flame retardancy and film toughness of PEsIs tended to deteriorate with the structural extension of the repeating units (or monomers) via ester groups. To identify the structural factors necessary for achieving the highest flame retardancy rank (UL-94, V-0), we systematically investigated the structure-property relationships of a series of TA-pPh-based PEsIs. Among them, a PEsI derived from para-quaterphenylene-containing TA-pPh (TA-DPQP) and p-phenylenediamine (p-PDA) exhibited the best property combination, featuring an extremely high glass transition temperature (Tg), very low linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), low water uptake (WA), ultralow linear coefficient of humidity (hygroscopic) expansion (CHE), unexpectedly high film toughness, and excellent flame retardancy (V-0 rank). Moreover, we examined the effects of substituents of TA-pPh and discussed the mode of action for the increased film toughness. This study also investigated the structure-property relationship for a series of PEsIs derived from isomeric naphthalene-containing tetracarboxylic dianhydrides. Some of the PEsIs obtained in this study, such as the TA-DPQP/p-PDA system, hold promise as novel high-temperature dielectric substrates for use in flexible printed circuits.

Electrospun Nanofibers Based on Polymer Blends with Tunable High-Performance Properties for Innovative Fire-Resistant Materials

The main concern of materials designed for firefighting protective clothing applications is heat protection, which can be experienced from any uncomfortably hot objects or inner spaces, as well as direct contact with flame. While textile fibers are one of the most important components of clothing, there is a constant need for the development of innovative fire-retardant textile fibers with improved thermal characteristics. Lately, inherently fire-resistant fibers have become very popular to provide better protection for firefighters. In the current study, the electrospinning technique was applied as a versatile method to produce micro-/nano-scaled non-woven fibrous membranes based on various ratios of a poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) and a phosphorus-containing polyimide. Rheological measurements have been performed on solutions of certain ratios of these components in order to optimize the electrospinning process. FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the chemical structure and morphology of electrospun nanofiber membranes, while thermogravimetric analysis, heat transfer measurements and differential scanning calorimetry were used to determine their thermal properties. The water vapor sorption behavior and mechanical properties of the optimized electrospun nanofiber membranes were also evaluated.

Optical and Flame-Retardant Properties of a Series of Polyimides Containing Side Chained Bulky Phosphaphenanthrene Units

Among the multitude of polymers with carbon-based macromolecular architectures that easily ignite in certain applications where short circuits may occur, polyimide has evolved as a class of polymers with high thermal stability while exhibiting intrinsic flame retardancy at elevated temperatures via a char-forming mechanism. However, high amounts of aromatic rings in the macromolecular backbone are required for these results, which may affect other properties such as film-forming capacity or mechanical properties; thus, much work has been done to structurally derivatize or make hybrid polyimide systems. In this respect, flexible polyimide films (PI(1–4)) containing bulky 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) units have been developed starting from commercial dianhydrides and an aromatic diamine containing two side chain bulky DOPO groups. The chemical structure of PI(1–4)) was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and 31P NMR spectroscopy. The optical properties, including absorption and luminescence spectra of these polymers, were analyzed. All polyimides containing DOPO derivatives emitted blue light with an emission maxima in the range of 340–445 nm, in solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, chloroform, and N,N-dimethylacetamide, while green light emission (λem = 487 nm for PI-4) was evidenced in a thin-film state. The thermal decomposition mechanism and flame-retardant behavior of the resulting materials were investigated by pyrolysis-gas-chromatography spectrometry (Py-GC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDX maps and FTIR spectroscopy. The residues resulting from the TGA experiments were examined by SEM microscopy images and FTIR spectra to understand the pyrolysis mechanism.