Thioetherimide-Modified Cyanate Ester Resin with Better Molding Performance for Glass Fiber Reinforced Composites

Cyanate ester (CE) resins with higher heat resistance, lower coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs), and lower water absorption ratios are highly desired in printed circuit boards (PCBs). In this work, a CE was modified by copolymerization with a long-chain thioether bismaleimide (SBMI) to form a thioetherimide-modified CE (SBT). The results indicated that SBT had a wider processing window and better processing properties than a common bismaleimide-modified CE resin (MBMI). After molding with a glass fiber cloth, the composites (GSBT) exhibited moisture adsorption in the range of 1.4%-2.0%, high tensile strength in the range of 311-439 MPa, good mechanical retention of 70%-85% even at 200 °C, and good dimension stability, with coefficients of thermal expansion in the range of 17.3-18.6 (×10^-6 m/°C). Such GSBT composites with superior properties would be good candidates for PCB applications.