Syntheses and thermal properties of ether-containing bismaleimides and their cured resins

Aromatic bismaleimides (BMIs) were prepared by the condensation of maleic anhydride with multiring diamines containing ether bridges. The thermal behavior of the bismaleimides was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) were utilized to characterize the thermal properties of the cured resins. The effect of the structures of bismaleimides on their thermal behavior and the thermal properties of the cured resins is discussed. Increasing molecular weight between reactive endgroups lowered melting points of BMIs, leading to a large temperature range between their melting point and the initial polymerization temperature. The introduction of ether bonds together with other flexible partners to bismaleimide resins decreased the glass transition temperatures or softening temperatures and the brittleness of the cured bismaleimide resins without extreme loss of their thermal stability. The cured bismaleimides were stable up to 450°C in both air and nitrogen.