A Study of the Thermal Properties of PETI-5/IM7

• Main Author: Tang, Yan
• Format: Others
• Published: TopSCHOLAR® 1999
• Subjects: Chemistry
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/760; http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1763&context=theses

PETI-5 (Phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide) is a substance that shows a great deal of potential in the high-speed aircraft and the aerospace industry. PETI-5 has been used for the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), a supersonic passenger aircraft in development at NASA. In this project, four staging samples, one fresh sample, one fully cured sample and one partially cured sample were analyzed and compared using thermal analytical techniques. The sample staged at 450°F with full vacuum showed the highest thermal properties among four staging samples. The results indicated that vacuum is helpful in improving the thermal stability of PETI-5. The mechanism of the curing step was proposed. The kinetics parameters and the three-step decomposition mechanism of the PETI-5 cured sample were shown, based on the analysis of evolved gases. Two cured samples were analyzed by two different TG/MS systems. The results of the analysis were compared.