Effects of chemical structure on the electrical properties of some polymers with imidic structure

The electrical properties of two types of imidic polymers, i.e. copolymaleimides containing azobenzene groups and epiclon-based polyimides with their corresponding poly( amic acid)s, have been investigated. The dielectric constant and electrical conductance were experimentally measured over the 1-100 KHz frequency range. Also, the dielectric constants for all samples were determined from the experimentally and theoretically evaluated refractive indices at optical frequencies, when Maxwell's relationship can be applied. From the current-voltage characteristic I( U), electrical resistance can be determined, providing information on the relationship between the nature of the material and its electric properties. The obtained values show that epiclon-based polyimides and copolymaleimides present higher electrical resistivity than the poly( amic acid) s. The dissipation factor was evaluated, revealing low energy loss under the form of heat in the studied dielectrics. These results show that these polymeric materials are good insulators, which recommends them for microelectronic applications.