Synthesis of transparent and thermally stable polyimide-aramid nanocomposites – Prospective materials for high-temperature electronic manufacture applications

Herein we report a method that improves the optical properties of polyimide-aramid (PIA) by the addition of a large quantity of silica. High silica loading was successful due to the good compatibility of synthesized unique silane end-capped polyimide-aramid (PIA) with in-situ formed silica nanoparticles. The prepared polymer films exhibited excellent optical properties, stability at 400 °C, a high decomposition and glass transition temperature, and a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) close to that of a glass substrate. These films may have potential applications in high-temperature (over 400 °C) electronic and optoelectronic manufacturing processes as a flexible transparent substrate.