SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS OF BISMALEIMIDES CONTAINING OXYALKYLENE LINKAGES

The synthesis and the effects of variation in structure on the resulting processing and final properties of a series of bismaleimides based on diamines containing flexible units of variable length or flexible units of fixed length with varying-length pendent groups is presented. Thermal analysis, parallel-plate rheometry and torsion impregnated-cloth analysis were utilized to characterize the processing, cure and final properties. It was found that, by appropriately choosing the size of main-chain and pendent aliphatic groups in bismaleimides containing oxyalkylene linkages, one can control the breadth of the cure window without adversely affecting either thermal stability or final glass transition temperatures.