Abstract
A series of eight addition polymides (aspartimides) was prepared in which the imide and amino groups were attached to the ends of aromatic residues containing two or four phenylene rings. The co-monomers (bis-maleimides, BMIs, and diamines) were purified using column chromatography before being fully characterized by spectroscopic techniques. The thermally induced Michael addition and polymerization reactions of the blended co-monomers were monitored using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at several heating rates to enable the kinetics of the processes to be investigated. The thermal stabilities of the thermoset products of these aspartimides were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) was employed to test the physical properties of the neat resins.