Copolyetherimides

A copolyetherimide having a glass transition temperature of at least 240° C., and a weight average molecular weight as determined by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards of at least 40,000 grams per mole, said copolyetherimide comprising structural units of the formulas (IX) and (X)

• and structural units of the formula (XI),
• wherein R1 is independently at each occurrence a divalent aromatic radical derived from bisphenol A or 4,4′-biphenol;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a mole percentage of structural units derived from 4,4′-biphenol in a range from about 55% to about 85% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a mole percentage of structural units derived from bisphenol A in a range from about 45% to about 15% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a total mole percentage of structural units derived from bisphenol A or 4,4′-biphenol of at least 95% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a total amount of bisimide-containing structural units, said structures IX, X, and XI representing at least 95 percent of the total amount of bisimide-containing structural units;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a molar ratio of structural subunits (V) and (VI)
• said molar ratio being in a range from about 85 mole percent (V) to about 99 mole percent (V) and about 15 mole percent (VI) to about 1 mole percent (VI).

A copolyetherimide having a glass transition temperature of at least 240° C., and a weight average molecular weight as determined by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards of at least 40,000 grams per mole, said copolyetherimide comprising internal structural units and terminal structural units, said internal structural units consisting essentially of structural units having formulas (I), (II), and (III)

• wherein R1 is independently at each occurrence a divalent aromatic radical derived from bisphenol A or 4,4′-biphenol;
• R2 is a divalent aromatic radical having formula (IV)
• wherein R3 is independently at each occurrence halogen, a C1-C10 aliphatic radical, a C3-C12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C3-C15 aromatic radical, and “a” and “b” are independently at each occurrence integers from 0 to 4;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a mole percentage of structural units derived from 4,4′-biphenol in a range from about 55% to about 85% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a mole percentage of structural units derived from bisphenol A in a range from about 45% to about 15% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a total mole percentage of structural units derived from bisphenol A or 4,4′-biphenol of at least 95% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a total amount of bisimide-containing structural units, said structures I, II, and III representing at least 95 percent of the total amount of bisimide-containing structural units;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a molar ratio of structural subunits (V) and (VI)
• said molar ratio being in a range from about 85 mole percent (V) to about 99 mole percent (V) and about 15 mole percent (VI) to about 1 mole percent (VI).

A copolyetherimide having a glass transition temperature of at least 240° C., and a weight average molecular weight as determined by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards of at least 40,000 grams per mole, said copolyetherimide comprising internal structural units and terminal structural units, said internal structural units consisting essentially of structural units having formulas (IX), (X) and (XI)

• wherein R1 is independently at each occurrence a divalent aromatic radical derived from bisphenol A or 4,4′-biphenol;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a mole percentage of structural units derived from 4,4′-biphenol in a range from about 55% to about 85% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a mole percentage of structural units derived from bisphenol A in a range from about 45% to about 15% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a total mole percentage of structural units derived from bisphenol A or 4,4′-biphenol of at least 95% of all bisphenol-derived structural units present in the copolyetherimide composition;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a total amount of bisimide-containing structural units, said structures IX, X, and XI representing at least 95 percent of the total amount of bisimide-containing structural units;
• said copolyetherimide being characterized by a molar ratio of structural subunits (V) and (VI)
• said molar ratio being in a range from about 85 mole percent (V) to about 99 mole percent (V) and about 15 mole percent (VI) to about 1 mole percent (VI).