A method for making polyimide which comprises,(C) heating a mixture which is substantially free of organic solvent and which comprises by weight 20% to 95% of water and 5% to 80% of a substantially equal molar mixture of organic diamine of the formula, NH2 --R--NH2, and an organic dianhydride of the formula, ##STR25## (D) recovering the polyimide from the mixture of (C), where R2 is a C.sub.(6-20)