Adhesion characteristics of imide-aryl ether ether ketone block copolymers with poly(ether-imide)

Imide-aryl ether ether ketone block copolymers were prepared and the adhesion characteristics with poly(ether-imide) were investigated. The copolymers were prepared via the poly(amic alkyl ester) precursor to the polyimides which is hydrolytically stable and may be isolated and characterized prior to imidization. Solutions of the copolymers were cast and cured to effect the imidization, producing clear tough films which showed two transitions, indicative of a multiphase morphology. Mixtures of the copolymers with poly(ether-imide) also produced clear films, and the shift in the T_g of the aryl ether ether ketone component of the block copolymer indicated miscibility with the poly(ether-imide) within this phase. This miscibility of the poly(ether-imide) with the aryl ether ether ketone component of the block copolymer produced significant improvements in the adhesion of the thermoplastic poly(ether-imide) with the rigid polyimide copolymer.