POLYAMIDE-IMIDE POLYMER AND PROCESS FOR ITS MANUFACTURE

1 .- 16 . (canceled)

17 . (canceled)

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . (canceled)

21 . A polyamide-imide (PAI) polymer comprising recurring units according to either of formulae (I) and (II) and further comprising recurring units according to any of formulae (V) and (VI):

wherein:

Z is a cycloaliphatic moiety selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or polycyclic groups having 5 to 50 carbon atoms;

R is a divalent cycloaliphatic moiety selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or polycyclic groups having 5 to 50 carbon atoms,

m and n are, independently from each other, integers from 0 to 10 and

wherein R 1 is a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, said aliphatic hydrocarbon radical including straight or branched hydrocarbon chains.

22 . The PAI polymer according to claim 21 , wherein said recurring units of formula (I) have formula (Ia):

and said recurring units of formula (II) have formula (IIa):

23 . The PAI polymer according to claim 21 , comprising a glass transition temperature (Tg) of:

at least 100° C., and/or

at most 250° C., as determined by DSC according to ASTM D3418.

24 . The PAI polymer according claim 21 , the PAI polymer being soluble in hexafluoro-2-propanol, o-cresol, sulfuric acid 98%, dimethylformamide.

25 . A process for preparing the PAI polymer according to claim 21 , said process comprising reacting:

a) at least one cycloaliphatic acid component according to any of formulae (IX) and

wherein:

Z is a cycloaliphatic moiety selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or polycyclic groups having 5 to 50 carbon atoms;

Y is OR a , with R a being H or an alkyl, and

at least two Y(C═O) are attached to 2 adjacent carbon atoms of Z in formula (X), and

b) at least one cycloaliphatic diamine according to formula (XI):

H 2 N—(CH 2 ) m —R—(CH 2 ) n —NH 2   (XI)

wherein:

R is a divalent cycloaliphatic moiety selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or polycyclic groups having 5 to 50 carbon atoms and

m and n are, independently from each other, integers from 0 to 10.

26 . The process according to claim 25 , wherein R comprises from one to four aliphatic rings, said aliphatic rings being condensed or bridged together either directly or by the following bridges: —O—, —S—, —SO 2 —, —CH 2 —, —C(CF 3 ) 2 —, —(CF 2 ) q —, with q being an integer from 1 to 5.

27 . The process according to claim 25 , wherein the reaction mixture further comprises at least one aliphatic diamine of formula (XII): H 2 N—R 1 —NH 2 (XII)

wherein R 1 is a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, said aliphatic hydrocarbon radical including straight or branched hydrocarbon chains.

28 . The process according to claim 25 , comprising reacting said at least one cycloaliphatic acid component and said at least one cycloaliphatic diamine by melt polymerization, said process further comprising a step of maintaining the reaction mixture in a state of uniform liquid during melt polymerization at a temperature of at least 200° C.

29 . The process according to claim 28 , said process being carried out in the absence of added water or in the presence of an amount of added water less than 50 wt. %, based on the total weight of the reaction mixture.

30 . A polymer composition comprising the PAI polymer of claim 21 .

31 . An article comprising the PAI polymer of claim 21 .

32 . The PAI polymer according to claim 21 , wherein Z comprises from one to four aliphatic rings, said aliphatic rings being condensed or bridged together either directly or by the following bridges: —O—, —CH 2 —, —C(CH 3 ) 2 —, —C(CF 3 ) 2 —, —(CF 2 ) q —, with q being an integer from 1 to 5.

33 . The PAI polymer according to claim 21 , wherein R comprises from one to four aliphatic rings, said aliphatic rings being condensed or bridged together either directly or by the following bridges: —O—, —S—, —SO 2 —, —CH 2 —, —C(CF 3 ) 2 —, —(CF 2 ) q —, with q being an integer from 1 to 5.

34 . The PAI polymer according to claim 21 , comprising at least 5 mol. % of recurring units of formula (I), and/or at most 10 mol. % of recurring units of formula (II), based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the PAI polymer.