ABSTRACT
Polyimides are proi linent among the polymers employed in high-temperature applications due to their outstanding thermal and thermooxidative stability, excellent mechanical properties, and ease of fabrication. In view of the increasing applications for these materials, the number of commercially available polyimides and polyimide precursors has grown substantially in the past 15 years. At the same time, demands of the aerospace and aircraft industries for polymers suitable as composite matrix resins for use at temperatures as high as 371°C (700°F) have intensified. These applications, which approach the limits of stability for most polymers, are frequently addressed using polyimides. As a result of this emphasis, an understanding of the factors influencing the thermal stability of polyimides is important and the literature describing thermal stability of polyimides is voluminous. A computerized search of the fields of polyimide degradation and stabilization covering the past 10 years turned up over 300 publications. The literature dealing with the degradation of polyimides has recently been reviewed [1].
