CLASSIC RAPRA TITLE ... Practical Guide to Polyimides is ideal for those who work with polyimides, either producing them or those using them to manufacture other goods. It will be of interest to those in both academia and industry.

Polyimides are very durable, easy to machine and have exceptional heat and chemical resistance. They are also highly insulative and do not contaminate their surroundings.  Their strength and heat and chemical resistance are so great that they are often used to replace glass and metals, such as steel, in many demanding industrial applications. Polyimides are even used in many everyday applications.

They are used in cars both externally and internally because they can withstand the intense heat and the corrosive lubricants, fuels, and coolants found in cars. They are also used in the construction of many appliances as well as microwave cookware and food packaging because of their thermal stability, resistance to oils, greases, and fats and their transparency to microwave radiation. They can also be used in circuit boards, insulation, fibres for protective clothing, composites, and adhesives.

Practical Guide to Polyimides covers the synthesis of polyimides from chloral and trinitrotoluene and reviews the production of new types of polyimides combining good thermal, mechanical and electrical properties with improved processability.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction

2. Chloral-Derived Monomers

3. Polyimides Based on Chloral Derivatives

4. TNT-Based Aromatic Diamines

5. Polyimides Based on TNT-Derived Diamines

6. Conclusion

Abbreviations

Index

About the Authors
Professor Marc JM ABADIE is professor at the Universit Montpellier 2, Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc and head of Laboratory of Polymer Science and Advanced Organic Materials - LEMP/MAO. Marc obtained his BSc (1959), MSc (1960), PhD (1963) and Doctorate of Science (1972) at the "Centre de Recherche sur les Macromolcules - Institut Charles Sadron" in Strasbourg. His present research concerns high performance composites and nanocomposites, UV & EB coatings and biomaterials. He has published 328 papers, 8 books and 9 patents and advised an overall of 53 theses. He has over 40 years experience in Polymer Science with 10 years in the industry (IBM USA, MOD UK, SNPA/Total France) and is thus well qualified to write about polyimides.

Alexander Rusanov has worked on the chemistry of aromatic carbo- and heterocyclic polymers. He has 800 publications to his name including 2 books, 56 review articles, and 400 experimental articles and a total of 152 Soviet, Russian, and foreign patents.

Vanda Voytekunas is an expert in Synthesis of Polyesters, Polycarbonates, Polyimides, Liquid crystalline polymers, Ester exchange reactions, Cyanoacrylates, Dental materials. She has written 23 scientific papers and has 1 patent.

Ludmila Komarova has been involved in the development of the new low K polymers; in the development of new boron-organic polymers - the new general method for the preparation of heterocyclic polymers; and in the development of organo-soluble polyimides - TNT-based polymers.