POLYAMIC ACID COMPOUND

PURPOSE:To produce a polyamic acid compound useful as a precursor of a polyimide compound having excellent properties, by reacting a specified alicyclic polycarboxylic acid derivative with an aliphatic or alicyclic diamine compound. CONSTITUTION:A polyamic acid compound having repeating units of formula I (wherein R1 is a bivalent aliphatic hydrocarbon or alicyclic hydrocarbon group and R2 is a group of formula II or III) or a mixture of this compound with a product derived by imidation of the compound and having repeating units of formula IV (wherein R1 is the same as above) is produced by reacting 2,3,5- tricarboxycyclopentaneacetic acid (anhydride) with an aliphatic diamine or/and an alicyclic diamine in a solvent. This polyamic acid compound is soluble in a solvent even when it is partially imidated, so that it is stable in the solution state and good in workability. A polyimide compound obtained by dehydration and ring closure is excellent in heat resistance, chemical resistance, mechanical and electrical properties, etc.