Hydrolytic Stability of Films of Aromatic Polyimides and Composites on Their Basis, Filled with Carbon Nanocones

Variation of the mechanical and thermal characteristics of poly(4,4′-oxydiphenylenepyromellitimide) and poly{1,3-bis(3′,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)benzene [4,4′-bis)4′-N-phenoxydiphenylsulfone]imide} films and nanocomposites based on these polyimides and filled by carbon nanocones/disks in the course of hydrolysis in an alkaline solutions was studied. The goal of the study was to obtain systematic information about the influence exerted by carbon nanoparticles introduced into polyimide films with varied chemical structure on the stability of the resulting film materials against a prolonged action of active hydrolyzing media. It was shown that the hydrolytic stability of the materials under study is largely determined by the molecular packing density. Introduction of nanoparticles into the polymers under study may result in that the concentration in the material of the excess free volume localized at polymer–filler interfaces increases. This, in turn, causes a decrease in the hydrolytic stability of the nanocomposite film as compared with unfilled films of the matrix polyimide. The opportunity was considered of raising the hydrolytic stability of the polyimide and nanocomposite material by making higher the average packing density.