Systems and methods for forming high performance compressible objects

• Main Authors: CARSTENSEN BARBARA, MATUSZEK WALTER T, DALRYMPLE DAVID C, POLIZZOTTI RICHARD S, LUSTIGER ARNOLD, PEIFFER DENNIS G
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.05.2014
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BESHAPED; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIALCONTAINING PLASTICS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL; WORKING-UP

The present systems and methods utilize a polyamic acid solution as a precursor to form a polyimide bead having desired properties. The polyamic acid solution may be formed into a polyamic acid droplet. The polyamic acid droplet is then processed to form a polyamic acid bead, such as by extraction of solvent to concentrate the polyamic acid or by partial chemical imidization of the polyamic acid. The polyamic acid bead is then better able to retain its shape during subsequent processing steps, such as drying and pressurizing, before final thermal imidization.