“…PMR-15 is commercially available and prepared in two stages from three monomer reactants: 2-carbomethoxy-3-carboxy-5-norbornene (nadic ester, NE), 4,4'-methylenedianiline (MDA), and the dimethyl ester of 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid (BTDE). Curing under heat and pressure results in a highly crosslinked network structure.2 There has been a significant amount of research aimed at increasing the TOS of PMR-15 by altering the structure of the diamine,2 the dianhydride,3 or the end-cap 4 . An alternative to modification of the polymer, as a means of increasing TOS, is the dispersion of a layered silicate in the polymer matrix.…”