Methods of making polymer blend compositions

1. A method of making a polymer blend comprising:

melt mixing

(a) a pre-polymer comprising

structural units derived from an oxydiphthalic anhydride and a diamino diaryl sulfone, and

a component selected from the group consisting of free amine groups, free anhydride groups, and combinations thereof; and

(b) a polymer comprising

structural units,

end units, and

a reactive group selected from the group consisting of reactive structural groups, reactive end groups, and combinations thereof,

wherein the reactive group is reactive with the free anhydride groups, the free amine groups, or combinations thereof,

wherein said reactive structural groups are reactive groups on said structural units and said reactive end groups are reactive groups on said end units,

wherein the pre-polymer is an incompletely imidized oligomer, and

wherein the polymer blend is non-delaminated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyetherimides, polyamideimides, polyaryl ether ketones, polyaryl ketones, polyether ketones, polyether ether ketones, polyaryl sulfones, liquid crystal polymers, polyamides, polyesters, polysulfones, polyphenylene sulfides, polybenzimidazoles, polyphenylene ethers, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 1 weight percent to 99 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 1 weight percent to 99 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 10 weight percent to 90 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 10 weight percent to 90 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 20 weight percent to 80 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 20 weight percent to 80 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-polymer has a ratio of carbon atoms/(nitrogen atoms+oxygen atoms+sulfur atoms) of 2.8 to 4.2.

7. A method of making a polymer blend comprising:

melt mixing

(a) a pre-polymer comprising

structural units derived from a first dianhydride and a first diamine, and

a component selected from the group consisting of free amine groups, free anhydride groups, and combinations thereof; and

(b) a polymer comprising

structural units derived from a second dianhydride and a second diamine,

wherein the first dianhydride is the same as the second dianhydride or the first diamine is the same as the second diamine;

end units, and

a reactive group selected from the group consisting of reactive structural groups, reactive end groups, and combinations thereof;

wherein said reactive structural groups are reactive groups on said structural units and said reactive end groups are reactive groups on said end units,

wherein the pre-polymer is an incompletely imidized oligomer, and

wherein the polymer blend has a single glass transition temperature.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first dianhydride and the second anhydride are the same and are selected from the group consisting of oxydiphthalic anhydrides, bisphenol-A dianhydrides, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first diamine and the second diamine are the same and are selected from the group consisting of diamino diaryl sulfones, metaphenylene diamines, paraphenylene diamines, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 1 weight percent to 99 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 1 weight percent to 99 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 10 weight percent to 90 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 10 weight percent to 90 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 20 weight percent to 80 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 20 weight percent to 80 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pre-polymer comprises structural units derived from oxydiphthalic anhydrides and diamino diaryl sulfones and the polymer comprises structural units derived from bisphenol-A dianhydrides and diamino diaryl sulfones.

14. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the pre-polymer has a ratio of carbon atoms/(nitrogen atoms+oxygen atoms+sulfur atoms) of 2.8 to 4.2.

15. A method of making a polymer blend comprising:

melt mixing

(a) a pre-polymer comprising

structural units derived from a first dianhydride and a first diamine, and

a component selected from the group consisting of free amine groups, free anhydride groups, and combinations thereof; and

(b) a polymer comprising

structural units derived from a second dianhydride and a second diamine,

wherein the first dianhydride is different from the second dianhydride and the first diamine is different from the second diamine,

end units, and

a reactive group selected from the group consisting of reactive structural groups, reactive end groups, and combinations thereof;

wherein said reactive structural groups are reactive groups on said structural units and said reactive end groups are reactive groups on said end units, and

wherein the pre-polymer is an incompletely imidized oligomer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first dianhydride or the second anhydride is selected from the group consisting of oxydiphthalic anhydrides, bisphenol-A dianhydrides, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first diamine or the second diamine is selected from the group consisting of diamino diaryl sulfones, metaphenylene diamines, paraphenylene diamines, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 1 weight percent to 99 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 1 weight percent to 99 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 10 weight percent to 90 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 10 weight percent to 90 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-polymer is present in an amount of 20 weight percent to 80 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer and the polymer is present in an amount of 20 weight percent to 80 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the pre-polymer and the polymer.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-polymer has a ratio of carbon atoms/(nitrogen atoms+oxygen atoms+sulfur atoms) of 2.8 to 4.2.

22. A method of making a polyimide polymer blend having a predetermined glass transition temperature comprising:

selecting a glass transition temperature for the blend; and

melt mixing a pre-polymer and a polymer,

wherein the pre-polymer and polymer are present in amounts sufficient to provide a blend having the selected glass transition temperature,

wherein the pre-polymer is an incompletely imidized oligomer and comprises structural units derived from a first dianhydride and a first diamine, and

a component selected from the group consisting of free amine groups, free anhydride groups, and combinations thereof,

wherein the polymer comprises structural units derived from a second dianhydride and a second diamine,

end units, and

a reactive group selected from the group consisting of reactive structural groups, reactive end groups, and combinations thereof, and the reactive group is reactive with the free anhydride groups, the free amine groups, or combinations thereof,

wherein said reactive structural groups are reactive groups on said structural units and said reactive end groups are reactive groups on said end units, and

wherein the first dianhydride is the same as the second dianhydride or the first diamine is the same as the second diamine.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the pre-polymer has a ratio of carbon atoms/(nitrogen atoms+oxygen atoms+sulfur atoms) of 2.8 to 4.2.

24. A method of making a polyimide polymer blend having a greater than one predetermined glass transition temperatures comprising:

selecting the glass transition temperatures for the blend; and

melt mixing a pre-polymer and a polymer,

wherein the pre-polymer is an incompletely imidized oligomer and comprises structural units derived from a first dianhydride and a first diamine, and a component selected from the group consisting of free amine groups, free anhydride groups, and combinations thereof,

wherein the polymer comprises structural units derived from a second dianhydride and a second diamine, and

a reactive group selected from the group consisting of reactive structural groups, reactive end groups, and combinations thereof, and the reactive group is reactive with the free anhydride groups, the free amine groups, or combinations thereof,

wherein said reactive structural groups are reactive groups on said structural units and said reactive end groups are reactive groups on said end units,

and

wherein the first dianhydride is different from the second dianhydride and the first diamine is different from the second diamine.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the pre-polymer has a ratio of carbon atoms/(nitrogen atoms+oxygen atoms+sulfur atoms) of 2.8 to 4.2.