Thermosetting mixtures which are stable on storage from polyimide and .beta.

Claim 2

A storage-stable, heat-curable thermosetting composition of matter, which consists essentially of (a) a polyimide of a saturated dicarboxylic acid of formula I ##STR15## wherein A denotes a x-valent organic radical of at least 2 and at most 30 carbon atoms, Z denotes a radical of the formula ##STR16## and x denotes the number 2 or 3, or a mixture of said polyimides, and (b) a β-aminocrotonic acid derivative or mixture of said derivatives selected from the group consisting of those of the formulae II to VIII ##STR17## wherein each of R and R 2 denotes a hydrogen atom, a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon radical having up to 9 carbon atoms, R 1 denotes a n-valent linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon radical having up to 20 carbon atoms or a heterocyclic radical selected from the group consisting of ##STR18## T together with both nitrogen atoms denotes ##STR19## X denotes an oxygen atom or the --NH-- group, E denotes the allyl or furfuryl radical which is suitable to undergo polymerization reactions, n is a number from 2 to 4, and wherein said composition contains 0.25 to 1.0 equivalent of β-aminocrotonyl groups (b) per each 1.0 equivalent of imide groups.

Claim 3

A composition according to claim 1, which consists essentially of (a) a polyimide of formula I, in which A denotes a radical selected from the group consisting of ##STR20## and Z denotes the vinylene radical, and (b) a β-aminocrotonic acid ester of the formula II, wherein n is 2, R denotes a hydrogen atom and R 1 denotes an alkylene or oxaalkylene radical of 2 to 10 carbon atoms or denotes a radial selected from the group consisting of ##STR21## a β-aminocrotonic acid amide of formula III, wherein n is 2, R denotes a hydrogen atom and R 1 denotes an alkylene or oxaalkylene radical of 2 to 10 carbon atoms or denotes a radical of the formulae ##STR22## a β-aminocrotonic acid amide of formula IV, wherein R denotes a hydrogen atom and the group ##STR23## denotes the radical of the formula ##STR24## a β-aminocrotonic acid ester of formula V, wherein n is 2 and R denotes methyl or phenyl and R 1 has the same meaning as in the β-aminocrotonic acid amides of the formula III, a β-aminocrotonic acid amide of formula VI, wherein n is 2, R denotes a hydrogen atom, phenyl or a lower alkyl group with 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R 1 has the same meaning as in the β -aminocrotonic acid amides of the formula III, a β -aminocrotonic acid ester of formula VII, wherein R denotes a hydrogen atom and E denotes the allyl radical or a radical of the formula ##STR25## β-aminocrotonic acid ester amide of formula VIII, wherein R denotes a hydrogen atom and R 1 denotes a phenylene radical or an alkylene radical of 2 to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 4

A composition according to claim 1, which consists essentially of a. a polyimide of formula I and, b. a β-aminocrotonic acid derivative selected from the group consisting of those of the formulae II to V.

Claim 5

A composition according to claim 1 wherein said composition contains less than 1.0 equivalent of β-aminocrotonyl groups (b) per 1 equivalent of imide groups (a).

Claim 6

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the polyimide of formula I is N,N'-4,4'-diphenylmethane-bis-maleic imide.

Claim 7

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the β-aminocrotonic acid derivative of formula II is 1,4-butylene glycol-bis-(β-aminocrotonic acid ester), α,ω-triethylene glycol-bis-(β-aminocrotonic acid ester) or 1,4-butylene glycol-bis-(β-butylamino-crotonic acid ester).

Claim 8

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the β-aminocrotonic acid derivative of the formula III is N,N'-bis-(β-aminocrotonyl)-hexamethylenediamine, N,N'-bis-(β-aminocrotonyl)-p-xylylenediamine, N,N'-bis-(β-aminocrotonyl)-4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane, N,N'-bis-(β-butylaminocrotonyl)-4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane or N,N'-bis-(β-aminocrotonyl)-4,4'-diamino-3,3'-dimethyldicyclohexylmethane.

Claim 9

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the β-aminocrotonic acid derivative of the formula IV is N,N'-bis-(β-aminocrotonyl)-piperazine.

Claim 10

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the β-aminocrotonic acid derivative of the formula V is N,N'-hexamethylene-bis-(β-aminocrotonic acid methyl ester) or N,N'-4,4'-diphenylmethane-bis-(β -aminocrotonic acid methyl ester).

Claim 11

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the β-aminocrotonic acid derivative of the formula VI is N,N-1,6-hexamethylene-bis-(β-aminocrotonic anilide).