Low dielectric, fluorinated polyimide copolymers

Copolymers of fluorinated polyimides and 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) have been prepared as films and composite laminates. The addition of BPDA was used as a means to achieve insolubility, making the polymers suitable as aircraft matrix resins. Glass transition temperatures, thermooxidative stabilities, and tensile strengths were increased with increasing BPDA content in the copolymers. Although the addition of BPDA did increase the UV cutoff and decrease the percent transmission slightly, the optical transparency of the polymers was still excellent. Dielectric constants of the copolyimide films ranged from 2.6 to 2.9. Astroquartz II laminates made with these resins had dielectric constant of 3.3–3.4. Flexural strength on unidirectional specimens were in the 1.24–1.41 GPa range and flexural moduli were 41 GPa.