Thermal Degradation of High-Temperature Fluorinated Polyimide and its Carbon Fiber Composite

High-temperature polymers are being used for a broad range of applications, such as composite matrices for structural applications (e.g., high speed aircraft). Polyimides are a special class of polymers that meet the thermal and oxidative stability requirements for high temperature composite aerospace applications. A weight loss study was performed on a fluorinated polyimide resin and its carbon fiber composite in an effort to determine its thermal stability and degradation mechanisms. Experiments were conducted using a preheated oven and thermogravimetric analysis to obtain the weight loss. Regardless of the method used, the resin and composite exhibited excellent thermal stability (less than 1% weight loss) below 430 degrees C, regardless of 2-20 min of exposure. After 20 min of exposure at 510 degrees C, the composite remained relatively stable with only 5.3% weight loss using the oven technique, whereas the neat polyimide sustained 12.6%. When degradation occurred, it was found to be the result of thermolysis and oxidation (to a lesser extent). (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 115: 2254-2261, 2010