Copolyetherimides

A copolyetherimide having a glass transition temperature of at least 218° C., said copolyetherimide comprising structural units of the formulas (I) and (III):

• wherein R1 comprises an unsubstituted C6-22 divalent aromatic hydrocarbon or a substituted C6-22 divalent aromatic hydrocarbon comprising halogen or alkyl substituents or mixtures of said substituents;
• or a divalent radical of the general formula (IV):
• wherein the unassigned positional isomer about the aromatic ring is either meta or para to Q, and Q is a covalent bond or a member selected from the group consisting of formulas (V):
• and an alkylene or alkylidene group of the formula CyH2y, wherein y is an integer from 1 to 5 inclusive, and R2 is derived from at least one dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon of the formula (VI):
• HO—D—OH (VI)
• wherein D has the structure of formula (VII):
• wherein A1 represents an aromatic group;
• E comprises a sulfur-containing linkage, sulfide, sulfoxide, sulfone;
• a phosphorus-containing linkage, phosphinyl, phosphonyl;
• an ether linkage;
• a carbonyl group;
• a tertiary nitrogen group;
• a silicon-containing linkage;
• silane;
• siloxy;
• a cycloaliphatic group;
• cyclopentylidene, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclopentylidene, cyclohexylidene, 3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexylidene, methylcyclohexylidene, 2-[2.2.1]-bicycloheptylidene, neopentylidene, cyclopentadecylidene, cyclododecylidene, adamantylidene;
• an alkylene or alkylidene group, which group may optionally be part of one or more fused rings attached to one or more aromatic groups bearing one hydroxy substituent;
• an unsaturated alkylidene group;
• or two or more alkylene or alkylidene groups connected by a moiety different from alkylene or alkylidene and selected from the group consisting of an aromatic linkage, a tertiary nitrogen linkage;
• an ether linkage;
• a carbonyl linkage;
• a silicon-containing linkage, silane, siloxy;
• a sulfur-containing linkage, sulfide, sulfoxide, sulfone;
• a phosphorus-containing linkage, phosphinyl, and phosphonyl;
• R3 represents hydrogen;
• a monovalent hydrocarbon group, alkenyl, allyl, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl, or cycloalkyl;
• Y1 independently at each occurrence is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic atom, a halogen;
• an inorganic group, a nitro group;
• an organic group, a monovalent hydrocarbon group, alkenyl, allyl, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl, cycloalkyl, and an alkoxy group;
• the letter “m” represents any integer from and including zero through the number of positions on A1 available for substitution;
• the letter “p” represents an integer from and including zero through the number of positions on E available for substitution;
• the letter “t” represents an integer equal to at least one;
• the letter “s” represents an integer equal to either zero or one;
• and
• the letter “u” represents an integer equal to at least one,
• and wherein the weight ratio of units of formula I to those of formula III is in the range of between about 99.9:0.1 and about 10:90.

A copolyetherimide having a glass transition temperature of at least about 218° C., said copolyetherimide comprising structural units of the formulas (I) and (VIII):

• wherein R1 comprises an unsubstituted C6-22 divalent aromatic hydrocarbon or a substituted C6-22 divalent aromatic hydrocarbon comprising halogen or alkyl substituents or mixtures of said substituents;
• or a divalent radical of the general formula (IV):
• wherein the unassigned positional isomer about the aromatic ring is either meta or para to Q, and Q is a covalent bond or a member selected from the group consisting of formulas (V):
• and an alkylene or alkylidene group of the formula CyH2-y, wherein y is an integer from 1 to 5 inclusive, and R2 is a divalent aromatic radical;
• wherein formula (VIII) is a terminal group with Z selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, and unsubstituted and substituted aryl, and wherein the copolyetherimide has a weight average molecular weight, as determined by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards, in the range of between about 30,000 and about 80,000, with a polydispersity in a range of between about 2.3 and about 3.

A copolyetherimide having a glass transition temperature of at least 218° C., said copolyetherimide comprising structural units of the formula (XXIV)

• and structural units selected from the group consisting of those of the formula (XXVI):
• wherein the unassigned positional isomer about the phthalimide ring is either in the 3-position or 4-position, and mixtures thereof,
• and wherein R2 is
• and wherein the copolyetherimide has a weight average molecular weight, as determined by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards, in the range of between about 30,000 and about 80,000, with a polydispersity in a range of between about 2.4 and about 2.8.