High heat copolyimides, articles prepared therefrom, and methods of manufacturing copolyimide articles

A copolyimide, comprising the reaction product of

• an aromatic dianhydride component comprising, based on the total moles of the aromatic dianhydride component,
• 10 to 90 mole percent of a substituted or unsubstituted pyromellitic dianhydride or a functional derivative thereof;
• and
• 10 to 90 mole percent of an aromatic bis(ether phthalic anhydride) or a functional derivative thereof, of the formula
• wherein
• Z is an aromatic C6-24 monocyclic or polycyclic moiety optionally substituted with 1 to 6 C1-8 alkyl groups, 1 to 8 halogen atoms, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, and
• the divalent bonds of the —O—Z—O— group are in the 3,3′, 3,4′, 4,3′, or the 4,4′ positions;
• and
• an organic diamine component comprising, based on the total moles of the organic diamine component,
• 10 to 90 mole percent of a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene diamine;
• and
• 10 to 90 mole percent of a diaminodiphenyl sulfone;
• and
• wherein the copolyimide exhibits at least one of the following properties:
• a glass transition temperature greater than or equal to 210° C. as determined by differential scanning calorimetry;
• an onset decomposition temperature of greater than or equal to 500° C., as determined by thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen or air;
• has a water uptake of less than or equal to 3.2% determined by comparing the difference in the weight of a polyimide film that has been immersed in water for 24 hours with the dry weight of the same polyimide film prior to immersion in water;
• a coefficient of thermal expansion of 20 to 55 ppm/° C. as determined according to ASTM E 831;
• and
• a transmission of at least 85% at one or more of 850 nm, 1310 nm, or 1550 nm as measured on an ultraviolet-visible/near infrared spectrophotometer using a 20 to 100 micrometer-thick film of the copolyimide.