Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for preparing a curable thermosetting prepolymerised imide resin composition comprising chemically reacting, at a temperature below 150° C., a liquid mixture of a carboxy-terminated polybutadiene/acrylonitrile (CTBN) and a co-reactant comprising a. at least one N,N'-bisimide of an unsaturated carboxylic acid of general formula I ##STR9## wherein B represents a divalent radical containing a carbon-carbon double bond and A represents a divalent radical having at least two carbon atoms, or b. the imide resin reaction product of at least one N,N'-bisimide of general formula I and at least one primary organic diamine or organic hydrazide, or c. the imide resin reaction product of at least one N,N'-bisimide of general formula I, at least one monoimide, and at least one organic hydrazide, to yield a curable thermosetting propolymerised imide resin composition containing copolymerised CTBN and co-reactant, said composition being curable at a temperature between 100° C. and 350° C. to a fully cross-linked polyimide matrix containing a dispersion of phase separated solid particles of copolymerised CTBN and co-reactant, said matrix having a lap shear strength at 20° C. greater than that of a fully cross-linked polyimide cured from the co-reactant alone.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for preparing a curable thermosetting prepolymerised imide resin composition comprising chemically reacting, at a temperature below 150° C., a liquid mixture of a carboxy-terminated polybutadiene/acrylonitrile (CTBN) and a co-reactant comprising a. at least one N,N'-bisimide of an unsaturated carboxylic acid of general formula I ##STR9## wherein B represents a divalent radical containing a carbon-carbon double bond and A represents a divalent radical having at least two carbon atoms, or b. the imide resin reaction product of at least one N,N'-bisimide of general formula I and at least one primary organic diamine or organic hydrazide, or c. the imide resin reaction product of at least one N,N'-bisimide of general formula I, at least one monoimide, and at least one organic hydrazide, to yield a curable thermosetting propolymerised imide resin composition containing copolymerised CTBN and co-reactant, said composition being curable at a temperature between 100° C. and 350° C. to a fully cross-linked polyimide matrix containing a dispersion of phase separated solid particles of copolymerised CTBN and co-reactant, said matrix having a lap shear strength at 20° C. greater than that of a fully cross-linked polyimide cured from the co-reactant alone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the average particle size of the phase separated particles, as determined by Scaning Electron Microscopy, lies in the range 0.1 to 10 microns, preferably 0.5 to 8 microns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein B is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR10##
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bisimide of general formula I is selected from the group consisting of: 1,2-bismaleimido ethane, 1,4-bismaleimido butane, 1,6-bismaleimido hexane, 1,12-bismaleimido dodecane, 1,6-bismaleimido-(2,2,4-trimethyl)hexane, 1,3-bismaleimido benzene, 1,4-bismaleimido benzene, 4,4'-bismaleimido diphenyl methane, 4,4'-bismaleimido diphenyl ether, 4,4'-bismaleimido diphenyl sulfide, 4,4'-bismaleimido diphenyl sulfone, 4,4'-bismaleimido dicyclohexyl methane, 2,4-bismaleimido toluene, 2,6-bismaleimido toluene, N,N'-m-xylylene bismaleimide, N,N'-p-xylylene bismaleimide, N,N'-m-phenylene biscitraconic acid imide, N,N'-4,4'-diphenylmethane citraconimide/and N,N'-4,4'-diphenylmethane bisitaconimide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the CTBN is of general formula VI ##STR11## wherein the ratio of x to y lies in the range 99:1 to 65:35.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A curable thermosetting prepolymeised imide resin composition whenever prepared by the method of claim 1.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method according to claim 1 which further comprises the subsequent step of heating the prepolymerised resin composition to a temperature betweeen 100° C. and 350° C. to yield a fully cross-linked polymer matrix containing a dispersion of phase-separated solid particles of copolymerised CTBN and co-reactant, said matrix having a lap shear strength at 20° C. greater than that of a fully cross-linked polyimide cured from the co-reactant alone.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A fully cross-linked polyimide matrix containing a dispersion of phase-separated solid particles of CTBN and co-reactant whenever prepared by the method of claim 7.