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Synthesis and characterization of modified bismaleimide/polysulfone semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks
Author(s) -
Kurdi Jamal,
Kumar Ashwani
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.23946
Subject(s) - polysulfone , thermosetting polymer , materials science , polymer chemistry , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , polymerization , polyamide , polymer , membrane , attenuated total reflection , chemical engineering , composite material , chemistry , biochemistry , engineering
The present work reports a new method of preparing semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (semi‐IPN) membranes through in situ polymerization of bismaleimide (BMI) within polysulfone (PSF). It was found that BMI could be polymerized at ambient conditions in the presence of a proton donor and PSF without the use of an initiator or a catalyst. Chemical structure characterization of these semi‐IPNs by Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FTIR‐ATR) revealed the possibility of imide cleavage and formation of amic acid when BMI polymerization was continued for a longer time while X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the protonation of imide nitrogen at shorter polymerization time. It was also found that size of thermoset BMI phase within the PSF thermoplastic has a significant impact on glass‐transition temperature of resulting semi‐IPN. By controlling the thermoset/thermoplastic phase separation of semi‐IPNs through dope composition and formation techniques, gas separation membranes with comparable selectivity and permeance that were up to 12 times higher than corresponding PSF membranes were formed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 369–379, 2006