Thermal stability and degradation products analysis of benzocyclobutene-terminated imide polymers

Benzocyclobutene-terminated imides were prepared and fully characterized with 1H NMR, MS, and FT-IR. The thermal degradation of polymers was investigated by using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and high-resolution pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR-Py-GC-MS). TGA showed that thermal degradation of the polymer was a single-stage process in N2, whereas a three-stage degradation in air atmosphere. The major involved products were found to be CO2, naphthalene and naphthalene derivatives. Degradation mechanism of the polymer was suggested and the relationship between structures of the polymer and degradation products was also discussed.