• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.313-318
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• 2009

Copolyimides were synthesized from bis (3-aminophenyl) sulfone (APS) and 4,4'-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) containing a fluorine substituent ($-CF_3$) with different mole ratios of 3,3',4,4'-diphenylsulfonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (DSDA) containing a sulfone group (-$SO_2$-). The PI films were obtained from poly (amic acid) (PAA) by solution casting through thermal imidization on a glass plate. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), universal tensile machine (UTM) measurements, and UV-Vis spectrometry were used to assess thermo-mechanical properties, morphology, and optical transparency. Thermal properties and optical transparency decreased with increasing DSDA mole fraction. In contrast, mechanical properties increased with increasing DSDA mole fraction. As compared to conventional PI films, however, the PI copolymer films in this work were found to exhibit better optical transparency.