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Zr-Containing 4,4'-ODA/PMDA Polyimide CompositesThe objective of this research is to improve the atomic oxygen resistance of Kapton(TM), a polyimide (PI) made from pyromellitic acid dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA), while retaining or enhancing the desirable properties of the pure polymer. Toward this end, zirconium-containing complexes and polymers were used to make composites and blends. Tetra(acetylacetonato)zirconium(IV), Zr(acac)4, which is commercially available, was identified as the best zirconium-containing complex for enhancing the atomic oxygen resistance of polyimide composites of the 10 complexes screened. Films prepared from the commercially available polyamic acid (PAA) of PMDA-ODA (DuPont) have good uniformity, flexibility, and tensile strength. A 24-layer 10% (mol) Zr(acac)4/PI composite film showed significant improvement (ca. 20 fold) of atomic oxygen resistance over the pure polyimide. However, 10% (mol) Zr(acac)4 represents an upper concentration limit, above which films undergo cracking upon thermal imidization. In order to increase the Zr complex concentration in PMDA-ODA PI films, while retaining good film properties, [Zr(adsp)2-PMDA]n coordination polymer [bis(4-amino-N,N'-disalicylidene- 1,2-phenylenediamino)zirconium(IV)-pyromellitic dianhydride] and [Zr(adsp)2-PMDA-ODA-PMDA]n terpolymer were synthesized and blended with commercial PAA, respectively. Several techniques were used to characterize the films made from the polymer containing Zr(acac)4. Plasma studies of films having 2% (mol) incremental concentrations of Zr in the Kapton up to 10% (mol) show that the overall rate of erosion is reduced about 75 percent.
Document ID
20010092697
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Illingsworth, M. L.
(Rochester Inst. of Tech. NY United States)
Betancourt, J. A.
(Rochester Inst. of Tech. NY United States)
Chen, Y.
(Rochester Inst. of Tech. NY United States)
Terschak, J. A.
(Rochester Inst. of Tech. NY United States)
Banks, B. A.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Rutledge, S. K.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Cales, M.
(Cleveland State Univ. Cleveland, OH United States)
He, L.
(Rochester Inst. of Tech. NY United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 2001
Subject Category
Nonmetallic Materials
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.15:211099
E-12944
NASA/TM-2001-211099
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 251-30-1E
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG3-1008
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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