CORRELATION OF POLYIMIDE RESIN MECHANICAL PROPERTIES WITH POLYMERIC PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

THIS PROJECT IS A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF POLYMERIC PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ON NEAT RESIN MECHANICAL PROPERTIES. THE POLYMER CHOSEN FOR THIS STUDY IS A POLYIMIDE SULFONE FORMED FROM BENZOPHENONE TETRACARBOXYLIC HIANHYDRIDE (BTDA) AND 3,3'-DIAMINODIPHENYLSULFONE (DDS). DURING PHASE I, SAMPLES OF POLYIMIDE SULFONE OF DIFFERENT MOLECULAR WEIGHTS, PURITIES, AND CURING SCHEDULES WILL BE SYNTHESIZED. THE SAMPLES WILL BE ANALYZED TO DETERMINE MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND DISTRIBUTION, AND GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURES. TWO MECHANICAL PROPERTIES THAT CAN BE CORRELATED TO THE POLYMER'S PERFORMANCE IN A COMPOSITE, TENSILE STRESS-STRAIN AND FRACTURE TOUGHNESS, WILL BE MEASURED. THERMOMECHANICAL ANALYSES WILL BE PERFORMED. THE OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I WILL BE TO DETERMINE IF THE ABOVE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES ARE SENSITIVE TO MOLECULAR WEIGHT, MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION, PURITY, AND CURING SCHEDULES. IF SO, THIS INFORMATION WILL BE USED AS A BASIS FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENT AND MECHANICAL TESTING DURING PHASE II.