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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Polyimide nanofoams from aliphatic polyester based copolymers

Conference ·
OSTI ID:370855
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA (United States); and others
High temperature polymer foams were prepared using microphase separated block copolymers where the major component is thermally stable block and the minor component is thermally labile. Upon thermal treatment, the dispersed minor component undergoes thermolysis leaving pores the size and shape of which are dictated by the initial copolymer morphology. The driving force behind the survey of aliphatic polyesters as possible labile blocks stems from their quantitative degradation into low boiling, polar degradation products via a backbiting process. Block copolymers were prepared using either a monofunctional caprolactone or a valerolactone oligomer and a high T. polyimide. Microphase morphologies were observed in each case. Thermal decomposition of the polyester blocks was accomplished by a thermal treatment at 370{degrees}C for 5 h. Significant density reductions were measured, and the resulting foams showed pore sizes in the 60-70 {Angstrom} range.
OSTI ID:
370855
Report Number(s):
CONF-960376--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English