High Performance Polymers and Their Nanocomposites

Chapter 6Thermoplastic Polyimide (TPI)

Xiantao Feng¹ and Jialei Liu^2,*

¹School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, China

²BeijingKey Laboratory of Thermal Science and Technology, Beijing, China, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, CAS Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Beijing, China

*Corresponding author: [e-mail]

Abstract

This chapter is mainly focused on the polymerization, processing, properties, and applications of thermoplastic polyimides (TPIs). The polymerization and properties are introduced by their basic polymer units, such as BEPA, PMDA, BTDA, ODPA, BTDA, etc. The blends, composites, and nanocomposites of TPI are also described in this chapter, including the compounding with other molecules of TPI. The environmental impact and recycling is discussed briefly at the end of the chapter.

Keywords: Thermoplastic polyimide, polymerization, processing, properties, applications, blends, composites, compounding, environmental impact and recycling

6.1 Introduction and History

Polyimide (PI) is a polymer of imide monomers. In those of polymers, phthalimide polymer is the most important one.

According to the composition of their main chain, polyimides can be classified into three kinds as follows:

Aliphatic polyimides (linear polyimides), semiaromatic polyimides, and aromatic polyimides. The last ones are the most used polyimides because of their good thermostability such as the phthalimide polymers mentioned above. ...