High strength electrospun polymer nanofibers made from BPDA–PDA polyimide

• Published in: European polymer journal Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 1099 - 1104
• Main Authors: Huang, Chaobo, Wang, Suqing, Zhang, Hean, Li, Tingting, Chen, Shuiliang, Lai, Chuilin, Hou, Haoqing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Electrospinning; Exact sciences and technology; Fibers and threads; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; High strength; Nanofiber; Polyimide; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers; Electrospinning; Polyimide; Nanofiber; High strength; Synthetic fiber; Aromatic polymer; Mechanical properties; Tensile property; Thermal reaction; Experimental study; Amidoacid polymer; Thin film; High modulus fiber; Solvent spinning; Imidation; Morphology; Manufacturing; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2005.11.005

A series of high molecular weight PI precursors, poly( p-phenylene biphenyltetracarboxamide acid), were synthesized from 3,4,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) and p-phenylenediamine (PDA) by using intense mechanical stirring at −15 to 0 °C for 48–72 h. The as-synthesized PI precursor solution was used to make BPDA/PDA polyimide thin films and electrospun nanofibers. IR, Ostward Viscometer, CMT-8102 Electromechanical Universal Testing Machine and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used for the characterizations of the as-synthesized PI precursor, PI films and nanofiber sheets. The high molecular weight BPDA/PDA PI thin films and electrospun nanofiber sheets possess excellent mechanical properties of up to 900 MPa tensile strength with up to 18.0 GPa E-modulus and up to 210 MPa tensile strength with up to 2.5 GPa E-modulus, respectively.